The ifc has launched a partnership with fintech company Cashi to roll out interoperable digital payments infrastructure across Africa, with a specific focus on Chad’s cash‑heavy economy. The move targets transactions mobile phones, point‑of‑sale devices and SMS tools that can function in low‑connectivity environments, aiming to reach the estimated 10–15 percent of adults in Chad who currently hold a bank or mobile money account.
Why this partnership matters now
Chad’s low formal financial access — roughly 10–15 percent of adults with bank or mobile money accounts, compared with over 30 percent across sub‑Saharan Africa — leaves daily commerce dependent on cash and imposes costs on small firms and households. The partnership prioritizes interoperable architecture that connects banks, telecoms and other financial institutions in a single system. For small businesses, the expected outcomes are straightforward: fewer constraints handling cash, lower transaction costs, improved record‑keeping, and better access to services that can support revenue growth and job creation.
Ifc’s Role and local implications
IFC’s involvement is positioned as upstream technical and institutional support that adapts Cashi’s platform to central Africa’s operating realities. The ifc will work with regulators and ecosystem partners to build trust with local merchants and ensure solutions are practical in daily use. Cashi’s tools are designed for mobile phones, point‑of‑sale devices and SMS-based transactions so the platform can operate where smartphone penetration and connectivity are limited.
Tarneem Saeed, CEO of Cashi, said “IFC’s upstream support allows us to adapt our proven, crisis‑tested platform to the realities of central Africa. This partnership enables us to work closely with regulators and ecosystem partners, build trust with local merchants, and deliver practical financial tools that people can use in their daily lives, even in low‑connectivity environments. ” The statement frames the collaboration as technology adaptation combined with regulatory engagement to foster uptake.
Deep analysis: causes, implications and ripple effects
At its core, the initiative addresses structural frictions: fragmented payment rails, limited mobile money penetration, and scarce digital literacy in segments of the population. The ifc’s technical emphasis on interoperable and resilient architecture aims to reduce fragmentation by enabling transactions across different service providers. Lower transaction costs and reduced cash handling can raise margins for micro and small enterprises and reduce security risks tied to cash flows.
However, the deployment faces practical barriers that the partnership acknowledges implicitly: building merchant trust, aligning regulators, and ensuring solutions truly suit low‑connectivity contexts. The project’s design to support SMS and point‑of‑sale options speaks directly to those constraints. If adoption accelerates, expanded digital flows could improve tax collection and broaden the formal financial footprint — objectives that align with Chad’s national Tchad Connexion 2030 development agenda, which highlights digitalization and financial inclusion as enablers of diversification and private sector growth.
Expert perspectives
Olivier Buyoya, Division Director for West Africa, IFC, emphasized the need for tailored, low‑tech approaches: “Expanding access to digital financial services through innovative, tailored solutions is critical in markets where smartphone penetration is low. This project underscores IFC’s commitment to support accessible, low‑tech, and resilient architecture solutions that boost access to finance for individuals and businesses in the Sahel more broadly. “
Tarneem Saeed, CEO of Cashi, highlighted operational priorities: the partnership will help adapt technology to Central Africa’s needs and places emphasis on working closely with regulators and local partners to build trust and deliver practical, daily tools for merchants and consumers.
Regional and global impact
The initiative sits within a broader regional push on financial inclusion and resilience. The ifc’s growing engagement in the Sahel — spanning financial services, agribusiness, digital connectivity and climate resilience — suggests this partnership is part of a strategic portfolio approach rather than a standalone pilot. There is also a scale dimension: Cashi’s interoperable model, if adopted more broadly, could lower barriers to cross‑provider transactions and create a more integrated payments landscape across neighboring markets.
Significant financing capacity underpins the institutional partner’s global footprint; as an arm of the World Bank Group, the IFC recently recorded high levels of commitments to private sector development, reflecting its ability to back systemic initiatives at scale.
Looking ahead: an open question
With technical design and regulatory engagement emphasized, the central uncertainty is adoption: will merchants and consumers shift away from cash quickly enough to unlock the economic benefits envisioned? The ifc and Cashi are betting that resilient, low‑connectivity tools plus coordinated regulatory work can shorten that transition. The coming months will test whether interoperable infrastructure and trust‑building can translate into measurable uptake across Chad’s underserved communities — and whether that uptake can catalyze broader economic diversification under Tchad Connexion 2030.
