August 2013

PERISA Case Study 2 Private Sector

SADC Payment Integration System

By Lesley Wentworth

On 22 July 2013 the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Integrated Regional Electronic Settlement System (SIRESS)

became operational in the four countries of the Common Monetary Area (CMA): South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland.

This is a first step to implementing a common electronic cross-border payment system across all member states of the SADC

regional economic community (REC).

The implementation supports the aims of other systems are being explored.1
SADC initiatives, such as harmonisation in trade The implementation of SIRESS has relied on the
tariffs, smoother and efficient border controls of trade active participation of the private sector – essentially
transactions, and integration in information and commercial banks that are members of the SADC
communications technologies. This project introduces Banking Association (SADCBA) – and the facilitation by
a regional interbank settlement system. However, central banks in the SADC member states. Through this
there are also plans for regional clearing capability
for low-value (electronic funds transfer) credits and
1 SADC Banking Association, ‘SADC Payment Project
debits; regional clearing capability for card and ATM Presentation’, SADC Open Session at SWIFT ARC,
transactions; and regional central securities settlement Kampala, Uganda, May 2012.
C A S E S T U D Y 2 : S A D C P AY M E N T I N T E G R A T I O N S Y S T E M

electronic system, money clearance across borders can common pursuit of macroeconomic convergence. The
now take place within the same working day, whereas convergence targets specified in the Regional Integration
with cheques and paper-based systems the clearance Strategic Development Programme (RISDP) have the
period is between seven and 21 working days. aim of maintaining macroeconomic stability in the
region, thereby contributing to faster economic growth
CONTEXT and laying the basis for an eventual monetary union.
The SADC Finance and Investment Protocol (FIP)
Payment, clearing and settlement systems (also known is a vehicle for the implementation of the RISDP, which
as financial market infrastructures) are an essential part provides strategic direction to the SADC integration
of the global financial system, which allows financial process. The RISDP economic targets include the
institutions to serve customers and clients across creation of a free trade area by 2008, a customs union by
the world. This payment system consists of a set of 2010, a monetary union by 2016, and a single currency
instruments, banking procedures and interbank fund by 2018. These targets have had to be delayed, especially
transfer mechanisms that ensure the circulation of with the impact of the European sovereign debt crisis on
money regionally in SADC and worldwide. the region – the latter event calling into question the
Successful regional financial integration (RFI) long-term prudence of monetary unions.
leads to an increase in capital flows moving towards an The FIP was signed in August 2006 by 14 SADC
equalisation of commodity and asset prices, and returns member states (excluding Seychelles), was ratified by a
on financial assets traded in member states. Monetary two-thirds majority in 2010, and came into force on 16
and financial integration is a complex set of processes April 2010 with two broad objectives.
from collaboration to co-operation, to unified financial
market codes, markets and services – and is reliant on t
5P
JNQSPWF
UIF
JOWFTUNFOU
DMJNBUF
JO
FBDI
NFNCFS

stable domestic financial systems within the particular state and improve foreign and intraregional
region.2 investment flows.
RFI is considered to benefit regional member states t
5P
FOIBODF
DPPQFSBUJPO
DPPSEJOBUJPO
BOE

in the following ways: harmonisation in financial sectors at national level
in the region.
t
*U
QSPWJEFT
JODFOUJWF
GPS
EPNFTUJD
SFGPSNT
t
*U
JODSFBTFT
FDPOPNJFT
PG
TDBMF
JO
PQFSBUJPO
BOE
At the May 2009 meeting of the SADC Committee of
competition. Central Bank Governors (CCBG), approval was given
t
*U
QSPNPUFT
GPSFJHO
EJSFDU
JOWFTUNFOU for the initiation of the SADC Payment Integration
t
*U
BMMPXT
MPDBM
GJOBODJBM
TFSWJDFT
JOTUJUVUJPOT
UP
HSPX
System project. The project team responsible for the
regionally, continentally and globally. payments system was tasked with, among other things,
involving other CCBG subgroups to ensure that the
H I S TO R Y O F S A D C F I N A N C I A L intersecting functional areas and requirements for
I N T E G R AT I O N A N D T H E S A D C P AY M E N T regional integration are considered when coming up
SYST E M with the conceptual design of the payment system.
The official launch of the SADC Payment Integration
In the late 1980s a process of financial reform and System project took place in February 2010. The SADC
liberalisation took root in many African countries, CCBG has since developed a monetary and financial
prompted by structural adjustment programmes statistical database; developed an information bank
supporting loans from the Bretton Woods Institutions. on the policies and structures of SADC central banks;
SADC member countries have, by and large, liberalised improved the national clearance, payments and
their financial systems and have recorded solid settlement systems; and facilitated the repatriation of
macroeconomic performance in recent years in their bank notes and coinage among SADC countries. The
SADC CCBG adopted the SADC Central Bank Model
2 AfDB, 2010.
Law in 2009, whose Chapter VI enshrines central

2 P E R I S A S E R I E S : P R I VAT E S E C TO R
 LESLEY WENTWORTH

banks’ strategies for stabilising financial systems in In addition, there is some disincentive for smaller
the SADC region. The law’s provisions on ‘disclosure, sovereign states to give up the application of their
the accommodation of banks, emergency liquidity independent monetary policy to react to asymmetric
assistance, and central bankers’ banker role, including shocks, which is required in the move to a monetary
as lender of last resort’3 are considered robust. However, union. The SADC Payment Integration System project
there is a perceived omission of capital and liquidity does, however, offer the opportunity for member states
requirements. to develop an internationally accepted national payment
A proposal by the project team set out the advantages system for their economies. This will facilitate the
of using the SADC CMA to test the possibility of development of their domestic financial instruments
implementing a single-currency cross-border settlement and will improve trust in, and security of, their financial
system. The introduction of this system will mean that institutions and markets.
participating banks will be able to exchange financial The overlapping membership of certain SADC
transactions through a single settlement authority; member states with other RECs, as well as the
and cross-border payments made in the member state’s probable incorporation into the Tripartite Free Trade
currency will be denominated in the South African Area (TFTA), does introduce some tension into the
rand. This test case using the CMA went online in July level of commitment some SADC members have
2013 as discussed. It is further envisioned that other towards financial integration – for instance, the case
SADC countries will adopt the system through a type of Mauritius. The Central Bank of Mauritius is the
of ‘variable geometry’ approach towards the SADC settlement bank of the Regional Payment and Settlement
monetary union. System (REPSS) of the Common Market for Eastern and
Southern Africa (COMESA), which became operational
Influencing factors in October 2012. REPSS is an initiative of the COMESA
Clearing House, which is fully endorsed by all 19
Unequal political commitment from SADC member COMESA member states and which enables the faster
states has led to less than unanimous support – transfer and receipt of funds within COMESA at a lower
through slower than desired ratification – for the price and in a less risky manner.5 The REPSS business
various protocols. This has resulted in regulatory model has mobilised central banks with commercial
inconsistencies in a variety of sectors in countries across bank participation playing a much lesser role.
the region. SADC countries are widely heterogeneous Success of the SADC project will thus be measured
with different economic vulnerabilities. Smaller SADC not only on the basis of the pilot project rolled out in
countries are reportedly hesitant to relinquish economic July 2013 across the CMA, but also on the number of
(and political) sovereignty to a bloc where economics SADC countries that follow suite. The SADC Payment
and politics are largely dominated by South Africa.4 System is expected to be on a platform that is easy to
Yet it is most likely that these small countries will use and suitable to convert, should other RECs, such
benefit most from the risk-mitigating mechanisms of as COMESA and the East African Community, wish
a monetary union (for example, against symmetric to consider using it under the proposed TFTA. With
shocks). There is thus a misalignment of incentives, the COMESA REPSS nearly a year established, it is an
capacity and will for moving this regionalisation process opportune time to assess the relative strengths of the
among the countries – such as South Africa, Mauritius two systems.
and Botswana – with effective insurance mechanisms,
as well as a good monetary policy, versus the smaller Key institutional players
countries, which stand to gain but do not have much
capacity to accelerate the project. South Africa acceded to the SADC Treaty on 29
August 1994 and was shortly thereafter allocated
responsibility for co-ordinating the new SADC Finance
3 Zongwe D, 2011, p. 99.
4 Malhotra et al., 2012. 5 Bank of Mauritius, 2012.

P E R I S A S E R I E S : P R I VAT E S E C TO R 3
C A S E S T U D Y 2 : S A D C P AY M E N T I N T E G R A T I O N S Y S T E M

and Investment Sector Coordinating Unit (FISCU) in The finance and investment unit has two main
1995. In 2000 a decision was taken to centralise the committees: the Committee of Senior Treasury Officials
work of SADC through four directorates, based at the and the CCBG. The CCBG reports to the SADC
SADC Secretariat in Gaborone. FISCU ceased to exist; Committee of Ministers responsible for Finance and
however, the impetus given to financial integration by Investment (COMFI), which reports to the SADC
the South African-based structure was set to continue. Council of Ministers.
The Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment (TIFI) The CCBG has five ongoing projects: the Payments
Directorate, under the deputy executive secretary of Systems Project; Legal and Operational Frameworks;
regional integration, is of greatest significance to this Exchange Control Subcommittee; Training and
case. TIFI is responsible for the co-ordination of regional Development Forum; and the Information Technology
trade and financial liberalisation, and the facilitation Forum. Two autonomous committees report to the
of competitive, diversified industrial development; SADC COMFI through the CCBG, namely the SADC
increased investment; and integration of SADC into the Committee of Stock Exchanges and SADCBA.
global economy. TIFI is focused on fostering regional The SADCBA has been tasked by the SADC CCBG to
integration through pursuing the objectives set out in establish a platform for integration of the payments and
the RISDP and FIP. clearing system in the region. The Banking Association
The TIFI Directorate undertakes its mandate of South Africa is a member of, as well as the secretariat
through designated units, which include trade; customs; for, the SADCBA; and is responsible for executing
macroeconomic convergence; finance and investment; the project. However, the participating countries are
standards, quality assurance and metrology; and appropriately represented through voting rights and
industry productive competitiveness. there are working groups for each of the 10 payment

Figure 1: SADCBA resources for Payments Project

CCBG payments sub-committee

SADCBA

In country payments leader In country standards expert

RTGS experts Retail payment expert Sec DVP expert Card/ATM group Legal group

Bank notes P2P Cheque elimination

Note: RTGS represents real-time gross settlements; DVP represents delivery versus payment; P2P represents
person-to-person.

Source: SADCBA, SADC Open Session at SWIFT African Regional Conference, Kampala Uganda, May 2012, http://www.swift.
com/resources/documents/ARC_2012_SADC_work_session_part2.pdf.

4 P E R I S A S E R I E S : P R I VAT E S E C TO R
 LESLEY WENTWORTH

streams identified by the SADCBA.6 (IPLs). The responsibility of IPLs is to co-ordinate

Commercial banks – members of the national SADC Payment Integration System project activities
banking associations in SADC – have been provided in their countries and to be accountable for project
the opportunity to inform the development of financial execution, for developing governance frameworks
market infrastructure that will promote interregional to support project implementation, and for leading
and intraregional trade and investment. Interventions individual payment streams.
include outlining payment instruments; business rules; Clearing houses in SADC, including BankServe
and messaging standards with respect to interbank Africa, are gearing up to provide regional SADC clearing
questions for improved customer service, cost savings and settlement services for payment stream participants
and efficiencies in cross-border payments. The project in the region. This project is aimed at enhancing
has reportedly benefited greatly from the involvement trade, investment and tourism in SADC by reducing
of the private-sector banks. cross-border processing costs while providing greater
Three international organisations have played a certainty of settlements. SADC states have approved the
significant role in the provision of donor grants and legal framework needed to operationalise the system.
technical assistance. Each country has domestic policy objectives, and an
oversight institution will be assigned the responsibility
t
5IF
8PSME
#BOL
QSPWJEFE
UXP
GJOBODJBM
HSBOUT
to ensure participants in the system are operating in a
between 1996 and 2006. ‘sound environment of best practices and standards’.7
t
5IF
*OUFSOBUJPOBM
.POFUBSZ
'VOE
*.'

IBT

provided advice and technical assistance. A N A LY S I S
t
5IF
#BOL
PG
*OUFSOBUJPOBM
4FUUMFNFOUT
#*4

IBT

provided advice and technical assistance. The SADC initiative to implement national payments
systems in each of the SADC countries was launched
All three organisations have also participated in the in 1996 with the assistance of the IMF, World Bank and
production of relevant publications. The SADC CCBG the BIS to help SADC member states to define their
is responsible for the SADC Payment Integration System domestic strategies and development plans. In addition,
and has a project team made up of representatives the project was aimed at defining a co-ordinated
from the central banks of all SADC member states. regional approach to cross-border payment, taking
Given the relative sophistication of the South African into consideration the implications for trade, central-
financial services sector and the early involvement of bank policy and foreign-exchange control. Based on
the South African government in FISCU, the South the premise that a sound and robust domestic system
African Reserve Bank has been an active member and is a prerequisite for a cross-border payment strategy
agent in providing momentum to the project. The and regional payments system, the SADC project was
SADCBA, in particular through its secretariat (the structured to ensure that each SADC country has an
Banking Association of South Africa), has secured the efficient and effective payment system that can be linked
participation of its members, the commercial banking with those of other SADC member states.
sector – especially in the pilot roll-out of the CMA Delays in RISDP monetary targets have been
Payment Systems project in South Africa, Namibia, acknowledged by the CCBG; but rather than postpone
Lesotho and Swaziland. Some of the major private the implementation of the SADC Payment Integration
banks have provided development funding and assigned System indefinitely, the CMA pilot has been undertaken.
individual employees as in-country payment leaders Although the process is led by the South African Reserve
Bank, it apparently has the support of the entire project
6 High-value payment; cash leg of stock market trades, team (made up of all member states). The CCBG has
cash settlements of financial market transactions, been able to leverage the SADCBA to operationalise
low-value payments, direct debits for utility bills, ATM many of the tasks and activities in the SADC Payment
cross-border withdrawals, credit or debit cards issued to
SADC cardholders, cheques, bulk repatriation of bank
notes, person-to-person and commercial payments. 7 Ramokopelwa K, 2013.

P E R I S A S E R I E S : P R I VAT E S E C TO R 5
C A S E S T U D Y 2 : S A D C P AY M E N T I N T E G R A T I O N S Y S T E M

Table 1: Three phases of the SADC Payment Integration System project

Commencement Including a period of sensitisation of the various stakeholders in the financial systems in each SADC
member state. All 15 SADC member countries are represented on the SADC Payment Integration
System project. This phase has also included information gathering and institutional assessments to
identify capacity-building needs.

Vision and strategy Conceptualisation of the vision for implementation of the payment, clearing and settlement system
development at a national level, based on each county’s unique circumstances and economic objectives.

Long-term Development of the project implantation plan in each country supporting the overarching objective
objectives of free trade in SADC. This includes the harmonisation of national payment, clearing and settlement
and strategy systems across member states. The steps in this phase are as follows.
implementation
…

"HSFFNFOU
BNPOH
DPVOUSJFT
PO
UIF
BDDFQUBCMF
DSPTTCPSEFS
NPEFM
GPS
QBZNFOU
TZTUFNT

in the region.
…

'JOBODJBM
TFDUPS
BTTFTTNFOU
QSPHSBNNFT
UIBU
XJMM
JEFOUJGZ
TUSFOHUIT
BOE
XFBLOFTTFT
JO
DPVOUSJFT¥

national payment systems, allowing them to make improvements where applicable.
…

0UIFS
JOJUJBUJWFT
JODMVEJOH
JOUFS
BMJB
DPVOUSJFT¥
MFHBM
GSBNFXPSLT
QBZNFOU
TZTUFNT
PWFSTJHIU

mechanisms, and establishment of memorandums of understanding.

Source: Adapted from Masela T, ‘SADC Payment System Integration: Roadmap and constraints’, 19 August 2011, Protea
Balalaika Hotel, Sandton, South Africa, http://www.finmark.org.za/wp-content/uploads/Pres_SADC%20PaySys%20
IntegrationRdmap082011.pdf.

project. This has meant that the private-banking sector The current crisis in the EU has led to a questioning
has been involved through the process – perhaps not of the wisdom of monetary unions. Especially in light
surprisingly, as they will benefit greatly from the of the overlapping membership of countries in different
integrated cross-border payment and settlement system. RECs, SADC member states will probably continue to
be tempted by alternatives to SADC regional integration,
CONCLUSION such as the TFTA. This may lead to competing policy
and regulatory requirements, which will make
SADC countries are among the most diverse economies compliance more difficult to ensure. Inconsistencies in
in a geopolitical region. The REC is made up Africa’s commitment to regional financial integration objectives
largest economy (South Africa), along with some of vis-á-vis long-term fiscal stability needed to achieve a
the least-developed, small, landlocked economies monetary union will create tensions in domestic policy
(Lesotho, Swaziland and Malawi), and small island processes. Moreover, the hegemonic relationships
states (Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius). Financial among SADC countries, embedded in the differing sizes
integration in the region is highest among the CMA and levels of economic and political influence of SADC
countries, where the currencies of Lesotho, Namibia members, is likely to threaten economic and financial
and Swaziland are pegged at par to the South African integration. South Africa, as the economic and financial
rand. Interest rate movements in these four countries economic locomotive, has significant political clout in
are highly synchronised, and South African financial shaping SADC activities, schedules, and outcomes of the
institutions account for between 60% and 90% of project. In this light, it seems the pilot SIRESS project
banking system assets and deposits in the smaller CMA may also represent a test of the variable geometry
members. South African banks, especially the big four – approach to regional processes in SADC, and may
ABSA, Standard Bank, First National Bank and Nedbank provide lessons for the RECs for the future.
– are also active in the rest of the region.

6 P E R I S A S E R I E S : P R I VAT E S E C TO R
 LESLEY WENTWORTH

REFERENCES

AfDB (African Development Bank), Financial Sector

Integration in Three Regions of Africa: How Regional Financial
Integration Can Support Growth, Development and Poverty
Reduction. Tunis: SILDAR, 2010.

Bank of Mauritius, COMESA Regional Payment and Settlement

System (REPSS), 2012, http://www.mcci.org/documents/
REPSS2.pdf.

Malhotra et al., Regional Integration in Southern Africa:

Binding Obstacles and a Practical Way Forward, Workshop
report from field visits (31 October–5 November 2011).
Princeton: Woodrow Wilson School of International and
Public Affairs, Princeton University, 2012.

Personal interview, Arthur Cousins, SADCBA, Johannesburg,

4 June 2013.

Ramokopelwa K, ‘SADC launches payment system’, Botswana

Guardian, 24 May 2013, http://www.botswanaguardian.
co.bw/business/288-sadc-launches-payment-system.html

SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial

Telecommunication), ‘First stage of SADC integrated
payment system goes live’, http://www.swift.com/about_swift/
shownews?param_dcr=news.data/en/swift_com/2013/SADC_
africa.xml#sthash.hmWJg8k4.dpuf.

Zongwe D, ‘Conjuring systemic risk through financial

regulation by SADC central banks’, SADC Law Journal, 5,
2011, pp. 99–119.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lesley Wentworth is programme manager of the

Economic Diplomacy programme at the South African
Institute of International Affairs. Her areas of research
include foreign direct investment and public-private
partnerships in emerging markets and developing
regions.

South African Institute of International Affairs European Centre for Development

THIS PROJECT IS
Jan Smuts House, East Campus, Policy Management
SUPPORTED BY
University of the Witwatersrand, Onze Lieve Vrouweplein 21,
Braamfontein 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa 6211 HE Maastricht, The Netherlands
Tel +27 (0)11 339 2021 Tel +31 (0)43 3502 900
Fax +27 (0)11 339 2154 Fax +31 (0)43 3502 902
info@saiia.org.za …
www.saiia.org.za info@ecdpm.org … www.ecdpm.org

P E R I S A S E R I E S : P R I VAT E S E C TO R 7