Nomba Extends Cross-Border Payments Corridor to Zambia

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nomba, a business banking and financial infrastructure platform, has extended its Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) payments corridor to Zambia through licensed local partners to facilitate cross-border transactions between businesses in the two countries.

The expansion is aimed at addressing payment delays, cash management challenges and foreign exchange shortages affecting businesses operating along the trade route, as the company advances its Pan-African business banking ambitions.

According to the company, the move follows its recent fundraising to expand cross-border payments infrastructure in the DRC.

In September, the firm secured a $3 million debt facility through CardinalStone Finance Company Limited to expand its cross-border payments infrastructure and scale its cross-border business from $480 million to $1 billion monthly.

Data from the Bank of Zambia showed that Zambia’s goods exports to the DRC reached $1.6 billion in 2025, representing an increase of about a third from the previous year.

Growing investment in regional transport links is also strengthening trade prospects between the two countries, particularly in agriculture, retail and wholesale trade.

However, businesses operating across the corridor continue to face difficulties transferring funds between the two markets, tying up working capital and limiting growth.

Nomba said its expanded corridor would enable Congolese businesses to pay Zambian suppliers in Congolese francs (CDF) and US dollars through bank accounts or mobile wallets, leveraging its existing operations in the DRC and partnerships with licensed providers in Zambia.

Commenting on the development, Nomba Chief Executive Officer, Mr Yinka Adewale, said the expansion was part of efforts to address gaps in the financial infrastructure supporting intra-African trade.

“The ambition to grow intra-African trade has outpaced the financial infrastructure needed to support it. Many of the continent’s busiest trade corridors remain underserved by payment solutions that help businesses move money efficiently and scale,” he said.

Mr Adewale said the company had spent the past decade developing solutions to these challenges and would continue expanding its infrastructure to enable African businesses to trade and compete beyond their domestic markets.

Founded in 2016, Nomba has evolved from a payments business into a business banking and financial infrastructure platform, processing more than $70 billion in annualised payments.

The company is targeting monthly cross-border payment volumes of more than $1 billion as it expands into additional markets. It also plans to raise another funding round to support its growth and develop a broader platform for African businesses.

Nomba said it would deepen its engagement with businesses operating along the DRC-Zambia corridor as the market develops, with plans to expand beyond cross-border payments into deposits, foreign exchange and credit services as its partnerships and market presence mature.