CEMAC: BEAC approves payments via a single regional QR Code

The Bank of Central African States (BEAC), monetary regulator for the six countries of the CEMAC zone (Cameroun, Congo, Gabon, Guinée Équatoriale, République Centrafricaine, Tchad), has reportedly approved a single regional QR Code payment system, according to an article published by Financial Afrik. This move is part of the broader wave of payment digitalization sweeping the continent, driven by the rise of mobile money and the pursuit of interoperability between national banking systems. Unfortunately, the detailed content of this article is restricted to Financial Afrik subscribers: no official decision date, no figures, and no statements attributed to a BEAC official are accessible at this stage. It is therefore impossible to confirm the deployment schedule, the technical operators involved, or how it integrates with existing infrastructures such as the Groupement Interbancaire Monétique de l'Afrique Centrale (GIMAC). If confirmed, such standardization would represent a major milestone for merchants, banks, and consumers in the sub-region by reducing the fragmentation of payment solutions and facilitating intra-CEMAC trade. It remains to be seen, in the absence of verifiable details, whether this system draws inspiration from models already proven elsewhere on the continent or in Asia, and which private actors will be associated with it. Sankofa Finance will monitor this issue to confirm its outlines as soon as additional sources become available.