Luanda: The National Bank of Angola (BNA) has ruled out any threat to the country's net international reserves following the integration of the country's currency (Kwanza) into the Southern African Development Community's Real-Time Gross Settlement System (SADC-RTGS).
According to Angola Press News Agency, Cristina Cani§o, head of the BNA's payment system department, stated at a press conference in Luanda that cross-border transactions under the new arrangement would involve the transfer of fund ownership between participating institutions rather than physical movements of currency. Cani§o assured that "the integration of Angolan currency into SADC-RTGS does not represent a threat to net international reserves." She further elaborated that by increasing regional demand for the national currency and reducing reliance on intermediary currencies, this move could potentially contribute to a more efficient use for strengthening foreign exchange reserves.
Cani§o highlighted that customers of commercial banks who intend to conduct any activity will only transfer within the SADC-RTGS system, without resorting to other currencies. She emphasized that the Kwanza, as a physical currency, will remain in Angola throughout this process.
The director also clarified that the SADC-RTGS system "is not directly provided by customers," since transactions are conducted through the banks. To settle invoices for regional goods or services, customers must present proof of transaction to their commercial bank, which will then process the request through the system.
Angola officially launched the Kwanza on the SADC-RTGS platform on 27 July 2026, with five commercial banks participating in the initial phase: Banco Angolano de Investimentos (BAI), Banco de Cr©dito do Sul (BCS), Banco de Neg³cios Internacional (BNI), Banco Yetu, and Banco Internacional de Cr©dito (BIC). The SADC-RTGS is a regional real-time settlement framework designed to streamline cross-border payments across Southern Africa on a single secure platform.
