Mastercard is set to launch a groundbreaking initiative in South Africa, making it the first nation to benefit from the company's latest advancements.
The financial giant is rolling out new “standards and solutions” aimed at accelerating card transaction processing. Partnering with ACI Worldwide, Mastercard intends to assist acquiring operators in adopting these real-time processing standards.
This development will enable merchants in South Africa to process payments more quickly, enhancing cash flow management and providing faster access to funds. Mastercard believes that this transformation will offer businesses improved financial oversight, greater control, and increased liquidity in the economy.
Looking ahead, Mastercard plans to empower issuing banks in South Africa and globally to facilitate real-time card payment processing. This initiative aims to enhance consumer transparency, speed up transactions, and provide instant financial insights.
Gabriel Swanepoel, Mastercard’s Country Manager for South Africa, expressed enthusiasm about the initiative, stating that it represents a significant leap toward modernizing payment systems in the country. He emphasized the importance of adapting payment systems to meet the evolving expectations of consumers and businesses.
In addition, South Africa recently introduced Payshap, a real-time digital payment service designed for low-value interbank transactions.
Emirates Airline has taken a bold step toward embracing digital finance by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with leading cryptocurrency platform Crypto.com.
Volkswagen’s autonomous driving division, Volkswagen ADMT, has announced a data-sharing partnership with Bee Maps, a cutting-edge spatial intelligence service built on the Solana blockchain.
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has given the green light to the QCD Money Market Fund (QCDT), making it the first officially approved tokenized money market fund within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).
Bitget Wallet has entered a strategic partnership with Mastercard and Web3 payment provider Immersve to launch a new payment card that allows users to spend cryptocurrencies directly from their digital wallets.