He emphasized the need to embrace digitalization as an enabler of inclusion and competitiveness as the region builds interoperable financial and trade systems, a goal that lies at the heart of the ongoing work of our institutions.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Clearing House (CCH) continues to make strides in its mission to promote economic growth and prosperity through intra-regional trade and integration. As part of this effort, CCH is advancing its flagship Digital Retail Payments Platform (DRPP) – a key initiative designed to ease barriers to cross-border payments and facilitate trade using local currencies.
CCH is pleased to announce a significant development in the DRPP initiative: the Malawian and Zambian payment corridors, supported initially by two Digital Financial Service Providers and one Foreign Exchange Provider, have successfully progressed from integration testing to user trials.
This advancement reflects the organisation’s strategic collaboration and thorough approach to building a secure and inclusive cross-border payment system. The DRPP represents CCH’s commitment to innovation in the digital finance sector, ensuring that payment systems serve all users – from citizens and MSMEs to informal traders – through a staged, responsible rollout.
CCH is calling on all partners and stakeholders to actively participate in this critical phase of the DRPP. Such collaboration will help refine and validate the platform to deliver reliable, immediate, and affordable payments that empower individuals and businesses across the region.
Together with its partners, CCH is laying the foundation for cross-border transactions that are as seamless as local payments. Through sustained innovation, partnership, and a focus on regional impact, the organization remains steadfast in driving meaningful change across the payment landscape to foster shared growth and prosperity.
About COMESA Clearing House:
The COMESA Clearing House (CCH) is a specialized financial institution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), established under the COMESA Treaty to strengthen financial cooperation and regional integration.
At the heart of CCH’s work is the vision of a financially integrated COMESA region, where secure, affordable, and inclusive cross-border payments power trade, investment, and prosperity.
CCH’s mission is to design, operate, and advance regional payment and settlement systems that are trusted, efficient, and accessible – bridging national markets, reducing barriers to trade, and enabling member states to transact efficiently across borders.
CCH operates the Regional Payment and Settlement System (REPSS) and is piloting the Digital Retail Payment Platform (DRPP) to extend instant, inclusive payments to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), women, and underserved communities. Through strong partnerships with central banks, financial institutions, and development partners, CCH fosters monetary cooperation, promotes financial integration, and ensures digital innovation supports COMESA’s goal of deepening regional integration and shared prosperity.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Clearing House (CCH) continues to make strides in its mission to promote economic growth and prosperity through intra-regional trade and integration. As part of this effort, CCH is advancing its flagship Digital Retail Payments Platform (DRPP) – a key initiative designed to ease barriers to cross-border payments and facilitate trade using local currencies.
CCH is pleased to announce a significant development in the DRPP initiative: the Malawian and Zambian payment corridors, supported initially by two Digital Financial Service Providers and one Foreign Exchange Provider, have successfully progressed from integration testing to user trials.
This advancement reflects the organisation’s strategic collaboration and thorough approach to building a secure and inclusive cross-border payment system. The DRPP represents CCH’s commitment to innovation in the digital finance sector, ensuring that payment systems serve all users – from citizens and MSMEs to informal traders – through a staged, responsible rollout.
CCH is calling on all partners and stakeholders to actively participate in this critical phase of the DRPP. Such collaboration will help refine and validate the platform to deliver reliable, immediate, and affordable payments that empower individuals and businesses across the region.
Together with its partners, CCH is laying the foundation for cross-border transactions that are as seamless as local payments. Through sustained innovation, partnership, and a focus on regional impact, the organization remains steadfast in driving meaningful change across the payment landscape to foster shared growth and prosperity.
The 24th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit was held on 9 October 2025 in Nairobi Kenya with a call for concerted efforts to deepen intra-regional trade among the 21 Member States.
Heads of State from Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya and Zimbabwe were joined by Prime Ministers, Vice Presidents and other leaders from the Member States, the African Union and cooperating partners to discuss regional integration programmes being implemented in the COMESA Region.
During the Summit, His Excellency President William Ruto of Kenya took over as Chair of the COMESA Authority from Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye. Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa becomes the Vice Chair of the COMESA Authority.
The Summit discussed various issues centering on regional integration, peace and security and efforts towards the digitalization of various trade facilitation instruments.
Member States were urged to adopt and implement these instruments to increase efficiency and reduce the costs of trade including the Electronic Certificate of Origin, Electronic Cargo Tracking System, Online Non-Tariff Barriers System, National Single Windows among others many other issues.
The theme of the Summit was ‘Leveraging Digitilization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth’.
Four Media personnel from Burundi, Uganda and Zambia were awarded for reporting on regional integration programmes in the 2024 COMESA Media Awards Competition.
