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Market Illustration

SADC TCIB

This mini case study explores SADC’s TCIB, a regional, cross-border central switch with Near Real-Time Settlement and an optional Confirmation of Payee functionality connecting multiple South African countries.

The SADC TCIB system is a regional, cross‑border retail payments switch developed to address the high cost and complexity of payments across Southern Africa. Building on the regional RTGS, TCIB evolved from an ACH‑like model into a near real‑time switch following extensive stakeholder consultation.

TCIB enables interoperable instant payments across participating countries using a central regional switch, near real‑time settlement, and inclusive scheme governance. Organized as a not‑for‑loss model with low fees for participants, TCIB supports both bank and non‑bank providers and is expanding beyond person‑to‑person payments to a broader range of retail use cases, strengthening affordability and cross‑border inclusion at regional scale.

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This Resource

  • Country: Southern Africa (SADC region)

Relevant Principles

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  • Inclusive Governance
  • Instant Payment
  • Interoperable
  • Low Fees for End Users
  • Pay Everywhere for Anything
  • Safe Payments
  • Shared Capabilities

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