East Africa Advances Faster, Cheaper Cross-Border Payments through EU-supported Knowledge Exchange

East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 1^st April, 2026: Sending money across East Africa could soon become faster, more affordable and more reliable, as the region strengthens its payment systems to better serve businesses and citizens.

This was the focus of the EU-EAC Payment Systems Knowledge Exchange Mission, held from 23-29 March 2026 in Germany and Luxembourg. The mission supports implementation of the EAC Payment System Masterplan under the EU-EAC Digital Economy, E-Commerce, E-Payments and Public E-Services Programme (DEEP).

Delegates from EAC Partner States' Central Banks, together with the East African Development Bank and the FSD Network, engaged with leading European institutions, including Deutsche Bank and Bank for International Settlements, to exchange practical experiences on interoperable payment systems and digital financial infrastructure.

Discussions focused on fast payment systems, cross-border innovation and policy coordination, drawing lessons from European frameworks such as the Single Euro Payments Area. SEPA enables seamless euro transactions across countries, supported by systems such as the Trans-European Automated Real-time Gross Settlement Express Transfer System (TARGET) and TARGET Instant Payment Settlement (TIPS), which facilitate real-time and instant payments across borders.

By learning from these systems, the East African Community aims to accelerate the development of secure, efficient and interoperable payment systems that reduce transaction costs, improve financial inclusion and support cross-border trade.

"By strengthening interoperability and learning from global best practices, we are laying the foundation for faster, more secure, and more inclusive payment systems that directly benefit East African citizens and businesses," said Daniel Murenzi, Principal Information Technology Officer at the East African Community Secretariat.

"FSD Network is proud to have supported the study visit for EAC Central Bank participants. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to deepen delegates' understanding of the European payment ecosystem, particularly in areas of innovation, governance, and oversight models applied by institutions such as the ECB, Bundesbank, and Banque Centrale du Luxembourg. The insights gained will strengthen our collective contribution to advancing the EAC Payments Masterplan and modernizing digital public infrastructure across the region," said Michael Mbuthia, Programme Lead, EAC Masterplan Implementation (FSD Network).

The mission also strengthened collaboration between public and private sector actors, ensuring that regulatory frameworks, infrastructure development and innovation are aligned to support regional financial integration and the long-term goal of the EAC Monetary Union.

As a result of the mission, participating institutions are expected to translate lessons learned into concrete reforms and investments that will improve the speed, cost and reliability of cross-border payments-delivering tangible benefits for businesses, traders and citizens across East Africa.

Notes to Editor

About EU-EAC DEEP

Digital Economy, E-Commerce, E-Payments, and Public E-Services (DEEP) Programme is a regional initiative that supports the East African Community (EAC) in advancing integrated, inclusive, and competitive digital markets. Co-financed by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, and Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs France. The programme focuses on promoting cross-border digital trade, strengthening regional payment systems and digital financial services, and enhancing digital public service delivery to accelerate the growth and security of digital markets across the region. The digital trade component of the programme is implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in close collaboration with the EAC Secretariat and Partner States.

About the FSD Network

The FSD Network is a consortium of ten organisations that work to build diverse and inclusive financial systems in African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Africa and Nigeria). As part of this work, the Network has been initiating collaborative programmes such as gender (the Gender CoPro), climate finance, etc. to develop a shared learning agenda, jointly undertake a portfolio of interventions, and share lessons and expertise on the practicalities of addressing barriers that inhibit low-income people from benefitting fully from financial systems and economic development. With support from the Gates Foundation, FSD Network is currently facilitating the planning phase of the East African Community (EAC) Cross-Border Payments Masterplan implementation.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.eac.int

About the East African Community:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organization comprising the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Burundi, the Republic of Kenya, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of South Sudan, the Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. The EAC aims to expand and deepen economic, political, social, and cultural integration to improve the quality of life of the people of East Africa through increased competitiveness, value-added production, trade, and investment.