Officials commented on the matter. South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago and Banco Nacional de Angola Governor Manuel Tiago Dias announced this pivotal development.
The integration of the kwanza into the SADC — RTGS, a system established in 2013, represents a major milestone for the region. It signals an end to the exclusive use of the South African rand as the platform’s only settlement currency since its inception. This strategic move is part of SADC’s plan to diversify the regional payment infrastructure from a rand-based platform into a multi-currency settlement system, which is expected to lower transaction costs and expedite payments for businesses engaged in cross-border trade.
In 2025, the SADC-RTGS system processed over $3. 77 billion in trade and interbank transactions among its 15 member countries.
The inclusion of the kwanza aims to foster economic growth and stability within the region by simplifying transactions and reducing reliance on intermediary currencies.
According to Arif Ismail, head of the National Payment System Department at the South African Reserve Bank, the expansion of the SADC — RTGS system to include additional regional currencies like the kwanza will lower transaction costs and boost trade, benefiting businesses that engage in cross-border transactions within the SADC region. Governor Kganyago emphasized that the addition of the kwanza is not only a significant achievement for Angola but also an important signal of confidence in the region’s shared infrastructure. This development is a step towards deeper regional financial integration and a more diversified economic landscape within the SADC region.
Despite the optimism surrounding this initiative, there remain questions about the expected impact on overall economic relations between Angola and other member countries.
The success of this initiative hinges on the system’s ability to facilitate smoother transactions and encourage the use of African currencies in intra-regional trade.
As Angola’s kwanza joins the SADC-RTGS system, the future of regional trade and financial integration in Southern Africa appears promising.
However, the effectiveness of this new framework will depend on its capacity to streamline transactions and promote the utilization of African currencies within the region.
*Additional reporting by ImNews | Sources consulted: 5*
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This original article was produced by the ImNews editorial team
Source: Africa.businessinsider
Source: Ayodeji Adegboyega
