Interswitch Partners with Temenos to Scale Digital Banking Services Across Africa
Interswitch Group has entered a strategic partnership with global banking technology provider Temenos to accelerate the delivery of digital banking services across Africa, marking a significant step in the modernization of the continent’s financial infrastructure.
The collaboration will see Interswitch adopt Temenos’ cloud-native banking technology to enhance its digital banking capabilities and provide managed banking services to financial institutions across key African markets, including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and others.
The move comes as African financial institutions face increasing pressure to modernize legacy banking systems while expanding access to digital financial services. Although mobile payments and digital wallets have transformed customer experiences across the continent, many banks, microfinance institutions, and credit providers continue to rely on outdated core banking platforms that limit scalability and innovation.
Under the partnership, Interswitch will leverage Temenos solutions across core banking, digital banking, payments, wealth management, and financial crime management. The technology will be offered through both cloud-hosted and on-premises managed service models, enabling financial institutions to modernize their operations without undertaking costly infrastructure overhauls.
According to Jonah Adams, Managing Director for Digital Infrastructure and Managed Services (Systegra) at Interswitch, the partnership represents a major milestone in the company’s evolution beyond payments.
“This is a pivotal moment for Interswitch as we accelerate our expansion beyond payments and reimagine digital banking for Africa. Our partnership with Temenos is strategic in that it allows us to introduce a highly configurable banking platform that leverages the latest cloud technologies into our technology stack,” Adams said.
He added that Temenos’ cloud-native and composable architecture provides the flexibility and scalability required to support Interswitch’s long-term growth ambitions while meeting the diverse needs of African financial institutions.
For Temenos, the partnership strengthens its presence across African markets while expanding its network of strategic partners on the continent.
William Moroney, Chief Revenue Officer at Temenos, described the collaboration as evidence of the adaptability of the company’s platform in supporting banking innovation across emerging markets.
“The collaboration underscores the adaptability of our platform to power innovative banking services tailored to the needs of African markets. Interswitch’s strong presence across the continent also extends our reach and further strengthens our ecosystem and partner network,” Moroney said.
The partnership reflects a broader trend across Africa’s banking sector, where financial institutions are increasingly seeking cloud-based solutions to improve operational efficiency, accelerate product development, strengthen regulatory compliance, and enhance customer experiences.
Founded more than two decades ago by Nigerian entrepreneur Mitchell Elegbe, Interswitch has grown into one of Africa’s leading financial technology companies. The company operates in 32 African countries and supports more than 300 financial institutions through its payments, switching, and digital commerce platforms.
Its flagship brands include Quickteller and Verve International, which recently surpassed 100 million issued payment cards, further solidifying its position within Africa’s digital payments ecosystem.
Industry analysts view the partnership as a strategic expansion of Interswitch’s role within Africa’s financial sector. By combining its established payments infrastructure with Temenos’ banking technology, the company is positioning itself to become a major provider of Banking-as-a-Service and digital banking infrastructure for financial institutions across the continent.
As demand for digital banking, embedded finance, and cloud-based financial services continues to grow, the Interswitch Temenos partnership could play a significant role in helping African banks modernize operations, improve service delivery, and accelerate financial inclusion across underserved markets.
