• SARBS launched PayShap to the general public on Monday, March 13.
• The real-time payment platform offers a safe way for banked and unbanked customers.
• It is working on a legal framework to ensure all digital assets’ safe and secure use.

South Africa has been at the forefront of promoting Web3 in Africa. It houses well-known crypto payment platforms such as Luno and has the highest number of Bitcoin ATMs in Africa. The success of SA’s Web3 and decentralized finance journey is only possible with the cooperation of the South African Reserve Bank. The SARB has significantly assisted its government in establishing its Web3 footprint on Africa’s ecosystem. Fortunately, SARBs has recently launched a new real-time payment platform, PayShap.

This new platform will further propel decentralized finance in SA. The stride of SARBs to promote South Africa might place the country at the forefront of Web3 adoption in Africa.

PayShap, SARB’s newest project

South Africa’s web3 journey is one of a kind within Africa. Most governments shunned the concept of crypto and its revolutionary concepts, and South Africa was among the few countries that gave the idea a second thought. The South African Reserve Bank played a significant role but not initially banning the concept of crypto like so many other Central Banks. Instead, SARB sought ways to incorporate cryptocurrency within its system.

Also, Read Morocco’s rocky crypto journey.

This led to the establishment of decentralized finance in South Africa. When fast and reliable connections came to light, South Africa immediately hoped for the idea. This led to several ups and downs within SA’s web3 journey. It eventually paid off as South Africa recently declared Bitcoin and other crypto coins as financial products in the state.

The strides of SARB in SA’s web3 journey eventually led to the Central Bank embracing the idea of decentralized finance by releasing its very platform.

PayShap is a real-time digital payment service built by the collaborative effort between Bankserve and the South Africa Reserve Bank. Both parties are well known within SA’s web3 journey, and each has significantly contributed their fair share to ensure that Soth Africa will lead the continent into the Web3 era.

According to the South African Reserve Bank, PayShap is the bank’s first attempt at taking a more direct role in ensuring financial inclusion within nSA. With crypto finally a legal financial product within the country, the timing of this device is impeccable. The real-time payment platform offers an easy and safe way for banked and unbanked customers to make low-vale payments to one another irrespective of their affiliate bank.

According to Mpho Sadiki, head of real-time payments at BankserveAfrica, the launch of PayShap marks a significant milestone for decentralized finance in South Africa. Its ability to reduce consumer dependency on cash paves the way for digital assets and payments for SA. 

SARB paves the way for DeFi in banks.

SA’s web3 journey has suddenly shifted with the launch of PayShap. The initial agenda of the global implementation of Web3 is to usurp old systems essentially. Initially, the full realization of Web3 meant the applications of decentralized finance in South Africa to render banks obsolete. Still, PayShap proves that both concepts can co-exist and banks can upgrade their systems.

Also, Read the Driving force behind South Africa’s crypto adoption rate.

The rollout of PayShap commences in two distinct stages. The first involves launching the PayShap instant clearing feature, which allows paying by account or proxy. The initial concept s will enable users to pay, withdraw or send money using their account details. This feature mainly stems from traditional financial systems, while the latter uses a unique identifier to anonymize the user. Thus, both concepts, old and new economic systems, are brought to a single real-time payments service.

To ensure the service is available to everyone, South African Reserve Bank has openly enlisted all functioning banks within Africa. The service will now be pend to everyone as long as both parties’ banks offer the services.

As SA’s Web3 journey steadily improves, the open establishment of a DeFi service will surely attract more potential users. Throughout its journey with cryptocurrency, the SA’s government realized the true potential of crypto and DeFi in SA meant for the country.

Wrapping up

With SA’s web3 journey steadily improving, the country is working on a legal framework to ensure all digital assets’ safe and secure use. DeFi in South Africa is still popular as more innovators and enterprenuers seek more areas to apply blockchain technology.

PayShap might appear as one of the many exploits SARBs have made. However, to Africa’s web3 community, it’s additional evidence to show how effective Web3 truly is. South Africa has sparked the flames of progress in Africa and has inspired many other countries to look at crypto differently. PayShap might be a real-time payment platform, but it will serve as another reminder to the world that Africa has the potential to dominate the Web3 ecosystem.