Pic : BPC Chief Operating Officer and AreaManaging Director for Middle East and Africa Usama Elsayed
As BPC continues to drive digital and financial transformation globally, South Africa remains a key market in the company’s long-term strategy to expand access to innovative financial services across Africa.
The global payment solutions provider is hosting a two-day client conference in Cape Town, bringing together clients to showcase new products, share technological innovations and explore solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of the financial services industry.
The Two days conference will provide a platform for engagement between BPC and its clients, offering opportunities to exchange insights, discuss emerging industry trends and demonstrate how innovative payment technologies can accelerate digital transformation and promote financial inclusion across the continent.
Leading these efforts is Usama Elsayed, BPC’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Area Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa region, who highlighted the importance of developing accessible, scalable and inclusive financial solutions that respond to the needs of diverse communities.
Bridging The Financial Inclusion Gap
While digital financial services continue to expand, rural and underserved communities still face significant barriers to accessing banking services. In areas such as Mpumalanga, these challenges can include limited access to physical banking facilities, long distances to financial service providers and unreliable internet connectivity.
BPC is addressing these challenges through a range of payment solutions designed to accommodate communities and businesses operating under different infrastructure and connectivity conditions.
Financial inclusion remains an important consideration in ensuring that technological progress benefits people beyond major urban centres.
“Financial inclusion is not simply about providing access to financial services; it is about ensuring that people can participate meaningfully in the digital economy, regardless of where they live,” Elsayed said.
He added that technology providers must consider the realities facing rural communities when developing financial solutions.
“We need solutions that work in different environments, including communities where internet connectivity is limited or where people may not have access to sophisticated digital devices. By adapting technology to local conditions, we can help bring essential financial services closer to the people who need them most,” he said.
Bringing Banking Services Closer To Communities
One of BPC’s approaches is agency banking, which enables existing local businesses, including trusted merchants and grocery stores, to provide selected banking services on behalf of financial institutions.
This model can help residents deposit and withdraw cash within their communities, reducing the need to travel long distances to access banking facilities.
The solutions can also support remote customer onboarding and electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) verification, subject to applicable regulatory requirements.
By using existing community infrastructure, agency banking can help extend the reach of financial institutions while creating opportunities for local businesses to participate in the financial services ecosystem.
BPC also provides mobile and cloud-based solutions for communities where smartphone access is more widespread.
These technologies can support self-service onboarding, account creation and mobile financial management, allowing customers to access services through digital channels.
For small businesses and local organisations, BPC offers scalable software-as-a-service (SaaS) cloud solutions that can reduce upfront technology investment and allow operations to expand as business needs and financial resources grow.
“Businesses need technology that is not only innovative but also practical and affordable. Scalable cloud solutions can help smaller organisations access modern payment capabilities without the burden of significant upfront investment,” Elsayed said.
Supporting National Payment Systems
Operating in more than 150 countries, BPC provides payment technology to financial institutions and other organisations through its flagship SmartVista platform.
The company supports more than 15 national payment systems across the Middle East and Africa region, contributing to the infrastructure that enables electronic payments and financial transactions.
Its presence across diverse markets allows BPC to develop solutions that respond to different regulatory environments, customer needs and levels of digital infrastructure.
Through its engagement with South African clients, the company aims to strengthen collaboration within the financial services industry while exploring opportunities to expand the adoption of digital payment technologies.
The Cape Town conference also provides an opportunity for clients to learn about BPC’s latest products and innovations, assess their potential applications and discuss how emerging technologies can address challenges within their respective markets.
South Africa’s Role In Africa’s Digital Future
South Africa remains an important market for financial technology innovation, with opportunities to extend digital payment services to communities and businesses that remain underserved.
For BPC, engagement with local clients forms part of a broader strategy to support the development of digital payment ecosystems across the African continent.
Elsayed said collaboration between technology providers, financial institutions and other industry stakeholders would remain important in ensuring that innovation translates into meaningful benefits for consumers and businesses.
“The future of financial services depends on our ability to build solutions that are secure, accessible and adaptable to changing customer needs. By working closely with our clients, we can develop technologies that support financial inclusion, improve access to payments and contribute to sustainable economic growth,” he said.
As the two-day conference unfolds in Cape Town, BPC is using the platform to showcase its latest innovations and strengthen relationships with clients, reinforcing its focus on advancing digital payments and supporting the continued transformation of the financial services sector in South Africa and across Africa.
