Absa Business Banking, one of Africa’s leading business banks, has chosen Network International, a leading enabler of digital commerce in the Middle East and Africa, as its digital payments technology partner.

Network will provide Absa Business Banking with end-to-end payment processing capabilities through a single payments platform and fully outsourced managed services model. Other services it will offer Absa include card management for fleet cards and commercial prepaid cards, transaction switching and authorisation, integration with fleet management software, direct connectivity to Absa Bank systems, card tokenisation, digital wallets, an online self-service platform and an expense management solution.

Commenting on the partnership, Richard Kadiaka, Regional Managing Director, Southern Africa – Processing Services, Network International, said: “This new partnership marks a significant milestone for our company in Southern Africa and opens new avenues for growth and innovation. The growing adoption in cloud technologies has perfectly primed both fintech and traditional financial institutions to turbo-charge digital innovation. Working with managed service providers allows institutions to quickly and simply deliver new products and services to an increasingly digitally savvy customer”.

Pointing out what the partnership means to Absa, Banie Claasen, Managing Executive for Lending Products at Absa Business Banking, said: “As the ‘Bank of the Entrepreneur,’ we are committed to delivering seamless, secure and smart payment solutions to meet our clients’ specific needs”, adding that “by combining our deep sector expertise with Network International’s leading technology, we’re empowering businesses with enhanced control and security, greater transparency and a frictionless payment experience. This collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation and customer-centricity.”