Chikwama Pay and Paymentology Power Africa’s First WhatsApp-Based Borderless Neo-Bank

Paymentology, a leading global issuer-processor, has announced a partnership with Chikwama Pay, a pan-African neobank that provides accessible financial services through WhatsApp.

The collaboration is set to power Africa’s first WhatsApp-enabled neo-bank with fully integrated borderless payment processing, aimed at delivering secure, seamless and affordable financial services to millions of underserved people across the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Chikwama Pay is pioneering borderless banking across Africa by allowing customers to bank, borrow, insure, save and transact directly through WhatsApp without the need to download a separate application. The platform primarily targets migrant workers, informal traders, women who are often excluded from traditional financial services, and other underserved communities that require reliable and low-cost access to cross-border financial services.

Through the partnership, Chikwama Pay will use Paymentology’s cloud-first issuing and processing platform to issue and process debit cards with real-time transaction management. The system will also support the company’s expansion across multiple SADC markets while ensuring compliance with local regulations and enabling global scalability. In addition, the platform will allow the introduction of advanced payment features such as dynamic spending controls and multi-market operations.

Kesheni Moodley, Regional Director at Paymentology, said the company was excited to support Chikwama Pay’s WhatsApp-enabled banking model. According to him, the initiative demonstrates how familiar digital channels can be used to broaden access to financial services, adding that Paymentology looks forward to supporting Chikwama Pay’s expansion across the SADC region.

Chief Executive Officer of Chikwama Pay, Alestair Mawoneke, said the company’s mission is to remove barriers related to geography, cost and complexity within African finance. He noted that with Paymentology’s global expertise and secure infrastructure, the neobank will be able to scale faster, expand across borders and deliver truly borderless financial services to millions who have historically been excluded from the formal financial system.

The partnership is expected to accelerate Chikwama Pay’s ambition of becoming a leading pan-African neo-bank while reinforcing Paymentology’s commitment to supporting innovative solutions that advance financial inclusion across emerging markets.

Paymentology is a next-generation issuer processor that supports fintechs, digital banks and retail banks to launch and manage payment solutions globally. The company operates a multi-cloud platform with a broad international footprint and real-time data capabilities, enabling clients to bring new products to market quickly and scale their operations.