Remove the Payment Friction That Is Killing Intra-Africa Trade

Intra-Africa trade accounts for only 15% of Africa's total trade — far below comparable regional blocs — and payment friction is a significant reason. A Nigerian importer paying a Kenyan supplier must often route the transaction through a US bank, losing money on two foreign exchange conversions and waiting up to five days for settlement. Mobile money interoperability between countries is improving but remains patchy. Your challenge is to design an intra-Africa payment solution for B2B trade transactions between ₦500,000 and ₦50 million. It must settle within 24 hours, charge no more than 2% total in fees, support at least three African currencies, and not require either party to maintain a foreign bank account. Submit a product design and regulatory strategy document (max 12 pages) including: payment flow architecture, FX conversion mechanism, compliance approach for at least three jurisdictions, partnerships required, and a realistic 18-month launch plan. Judging criteria: 35% payment architecture credibility, 30% regulatory strategy, 20% cost model and fee design, 15% launch plan realism.