• Zambia, Visa sign MOU to boost digital payments and inclusion
• Deal supports e-government, part of national digital strategy
• Zampay platform enables online payments for public services

The Zambian government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Visa, the U.S. digital payments provider, to advance its national digital transformation strategy. The agreement was announced at the official opening of the Digital Government Africa Summit 2025, which was held in Lusaka from October 7 to 9.

Smart Zambia, the national agency responsible for digital transformation, said on Wednesday, October 8, that the agreement aims to promote secure and inclusive digital payment solutions to enhance e-government service delivery and financial inclusion. The agency did not disclose further details about the partnership.

Digital Payments Key to E-Government Push

The partnership supports the Zambian government’s ambition to build a digital economy. Officials believe the strategy will expand access to digital services across all economic sectors, enhancing productivity and driving economic growth.

The World Bank has identified digital payments as a cornerstone of digital transformation, enabling transactions that are safer, faster, interoperable, and cashless. Digital payments allow individuals, businesses, and governments to transfer money easily and securely, according to the World Bank Group’s March 2025 report, “Digital Public Infrastructure and Development.” This covers e-commerce, merchant transactions, government-to-person (G2P) transfers such as social welfare payments, person-to-government (P2G) or business-to-government (B2G) payments like taxes, and person-to-person (P2P) transfers.

In a study co-authored with U.S. strategy consulting firm Kearney, Visa emphasized that digitizing interactions between citizens and public institutions can help governments meet key development goals, improving public service access, building public and business trust in government institutions, fostering small business innovation, and fostering broader prosperity.

Zambia already operates a national payments portal known as Zampay, a centralized platform for online public service transactions. The system allows citizens to pay taxes, fees, and government bills using credit cards, mobile money, or online banking.

Isaac K. Kassouwi