In many parts of Africa, traditional banking infrastructure is sparse, leaving large populations unbanked or far from the nearest branch. Agency banking – where local agents provide banking services on behalf of financial institutions – has emerged as a game-changer to bridge this gap. Studies show that agent networks can have up to 20× more reach than bank branches and 25% lower transaction costs. A number of technology solution providers are leading the charge by equipping banks and fintechs with robust agency banking platforms tailored for the African context. These platforms help banks rapidly expand their reach into rural and low-income areas, drive financial inclusion, and do so efficiently and securely. Below, we explore the top agency banking tech solution providers in Africa (in no particular order), highlighting what makes each stand out.
Software Group is a globally recognized fintech solutions provider with a strong footprint in Africa. With over 10 years of agency banking experience across 20+ countries, Software Group offers one of the most robust platforms for agent banking. Its Enterprise Agency Banking Solution is proven at scale – supporting Tier 1 and Tier 2 banks with thousands of agents and transactions daily. Software Group’s solution has been successfully deployed in over 20 countries and earned multiple industry awards, reflecting its reliability and innovation.
Enterprise-Grade Platform: Designed to meet the needs of large banks, it supports unlimited agent hierarchies, advanced analytics, and multi-device access (smartphones, POS, USSD) for high-volume operations. This means even the biggest banks can manage extensive agent networks with ease.
Financial Inclusion Focus: Software Group’s mission includes accelerating financial inclusion. Its platform enables banks to onboard customers in minutes via agents, even in remote villages, and offer services like small loans or micro-insurance on the spot. By leveraging local shops as agents, banks can reach the unbanked before competitors do.
Security and Compliance: The solution adheres to industry-leading security standards. All agent transactions can be authenticated via one-time passwords, biometrics, cards/PIN, etc., ensuring even customers without formal IDs are served safely. Real-time monitoring and analytics help flag any suspicious activity across the agent network to prevent fraud.
Overall, Software Group delivers full-featured agency banking platform that has repeatedly proven its value in Africa’s banking sector. It enables banks to cut costs (agent transactions are ~25% cheaper than branches), decongest physical branches, and dramatically scale up outreach and deposits via trusted local agents.
Redian Software is an up-and-coming fintech provider making waves in the agency banking space, especially in East Africa. Headquartered in Kenya, Redian is known as “a standout player in the agency banking space” and a leading banking software developer across Africa. Redian’s agency banking system, often branded Illuminate, is designed to be flexible, secure, and user-friendly, which is crucial for adoption in diverse communities.
Streamlined Onboarding: Redian’s solution simplifies customer registration and account opening through agents. An individual can sign up for a bank account at a local shop in minutes, as the agent app supports quick KYC capture and validation. This fast onboarding lowers barriers for the unbanked to join the formal financial system.
Robust Security: Security is a top priority. The platform offers multiple authentication methods – from PIN codes and OTPs to biometric fingerprint verification – for transactions. This ensures that even without traditional bank infrastructure, customer data and funds remain protected. Every agent transaction is authorized and traceable, reducing fraud risk.
Comprehensive Transactions: Agents using Redian’s software can perform the full spectrum of banking transactions on behalf of customers. This includes cash deposits and withdrawals, funds transfers, balance inquiries, mini-statements, bill payments, and more. Essentially, a small retail agent equipped with Redian’s app can offer many services of a bank branch.
Ease of Use: A key advantage of Redian is its intuitive, lightweight design. Agents require minimal training to use the platform’s mobile app or POS interface. The software is optimized for low-resource settings, meaning it can run on basic Android devices and doesn’t require constant connectivity (important in areas with patchy internet). This ease of use helps in rapidly scaling agent networks without intensive support needs.
By combining local insight with strong tech, Redian Software has become a trusted agency banking partner for banks in Kenya and beyond. It is reshaping banking by making it more accessible, secure, and personalized at the last mile. Banks choosing Redian gain a solution that is both innovative and grounded in the realities of African markets, from rural customer onboarding to multilingual support and biometric security.
Kenya’s Craft Silicon is one of Africa’s oldest and most accomplished fintech companies, established in 2000. It has a global presence but retains a strong focus on Africa, operating in 35 countries and serving over 1 billion customers through various financial institutions. Craft Silicon’s agency banking offering is part of its comprehensive digital finance product suite and benefits from the company’s decades of experience in core banking, mobile money, and microfinance solutions.
Integrated Agent Management: Craft Silicon’s agency banking software is designed to make managing a widespread agent network easy for banks. It supports hierarchies of agents and sub-agents, and keeps accurate accounts for each, regardless of location or size. This is critical for institutions scaling up from a few agents to thousands across different regions.
Efficient Transactions with Controls: Craft Silicon emphasizes efficient processing – the software not only executes transactions in real time but also provides robust monitoring of limits and authorization controls. This ensures that even though transactions occur outside branches, they are governed by proper risk limits (e.g. daily cash limits) and oversight, maintaining the integrity of the bank’s operations.
Flexible Integration: A big selling point is the solution’s interoperability with various core banking systems and back-office systems. Banks don’t need to rip out existing systems – Craft Silicon’s agent banking can plug into legacy cores or modern CBS via APIs. This inbuilt flexibility speeds up deployment and reduces IT costs.
Craft Silicon’s long track record and comprehensive approach make it a trusted provider. It delivers not just software, but also the strategic know-how of how to roll out an agent network. As seen in East Africa, banks utilizing Craft Silicon’s platform have been able to expand nationally at lower cost, generate new revenues, and improve financial inclusion among rural populations. Craft Silicon truly demonstrates how a homegrown African fintech can drive innovation in agency banking across emerging markets.
4. MobiFin
MobiFin (by Panamax Inc.) is a global digital banking and payments platform that has gained strong recognition in Africa for its agency banking solution. Founded roughly two decades ago, MobiFin has continually evolved its product, culminating in a platform that in 2025 won the “Best Agency Banking Solution” award at the Africa Bank 4.0 Summit (Pan-Africa). This award highlights MobiFin’s innovation, scalability, and impact on financial inclusion across the continent.
Liquidity Management: The system provides real-time monitoring of agent cash float, allows structured overdraft facilities for agents, supports agent-to-agent fund transfers, and even pooled float management. These features ensure agents always have enough cash or e-float to serve customers, minimizing downtime. By smartly managing liquidity, MobiFin keeps the network running smoothly and agents confident.
Biometric & POS Support: MobiFin embraces cutting-edge tech like biometrics. It enables fingerprint or facial recognition authentication at agent points, speeding up customer verification and enhancing security. Additionally, the platform integrates with Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals, so agents can accept card-based transactions and do PIN-based services on a secure device. This multi-channel approach (mobile app, POS, etc.) means agents can offer versatile services to customers with or without cards.
Multi-Language & Multi-Currency: Recognizing Africa’s diversity, MobiFin supports multiple currencies and languages out-of-the-box. A bank can roll it out in different countries or to different linguistic groups without retooling, ensuring inclusivity and “glocal” reach.
With MobiFin, banks have been able to extend services deep into underserved communities, leveraging agents instead of building new branches. This expands the customer base while cutting operational costs, since existing retail shops become service points. Customers enjoy greater convenience – they can do banking in their village, saving travel time and costs, which boosts satisfaction and loyalty. MobiFin’s clients often remark on the platform’s flexibility: it’s a white-label solution that can be branded and tailored as needed. All these strengths make MobiFin a go-to choice for African banks aiming for rapid, secure agency banking deployment at scale.
MuRong Technology is a newer entrant in Africa’s banking tech scene, coming from China with a strong digital banking offering. MuRong’s flagship product is MuRong IDO (Innovative Digital/Open Banking) Suite, a modular digital banking system. Within this suite, MuRong offers an Agency Banking System module that has already proven itself in East Africa through a high-profile deployment. MuRong’s approach is to enable banks to accelerate digital transformation without overhauling their existing cores – a strategy well-suited for many African banks.
Omnichannel Digital Platform: MuRong IDO is described as a “lightweight, innovative, and open digital banking system” that provides omnichannel coverage across mobile banking, internet banking, agency banking, and open APIs. For a bank, this means the agency banking agents are part of an integrated digital ecosystem – customers get a seamless experience whether they transact via an agent, an app, or online. The platform’s microservices architecture makes it highly scalable and flexible to meet different needs (from new products to integrations).
Advanced Tools for Agents: The MuRong IDO Agency Banking System gives banks and their agents powerful tools to extend reach. It is designed to “significantly expand the bank’s service outlets and customer base while reducing operational costs.” Essentially, by using MuRong’s agent module, a bank can rapidly set up agents anywhere (as the tech integrates with any core system), and reliably service customers without needing costly branches. This aligns perfectly with Africa’s financial inclusion goals – reach more people at lower cost.
Secure and Compliant: MuRong IDO also emphasizes security and compliance. It features multi-layered security architecture compliant with international standards. MuRong ensures that even while innovating quickly, banks remain within risk and regulatory guardrails.
MuRong Technology brings a fresh, high-tech perspective to agency banking in Africa. It enables incumbent banks to quickly modernize via agents and digital channels without a risky core replacement. For fast-growing banks aiming to be digital-first (or governments/banks in smaller countries wanting a turnkey solution), MuRong provides an attractive path – as evidenced by its rapid rollout at KCB and the subsequent expansion of services to millions of new customers across East Africa.
6. DigiPay.Guru
DigiPay.Guru is a fintech solution particularly tailored for digital payments and agency banking, gaining popularity as a top-rated platform in Africa. In fact, DigiPay.Guru was highlighted as the #1 agency banking software solution for 2025 by TechInAfrica, owing to its rich features and ease of use. The platform is built with a keen eye on the challenges of African markets – from intermittent connectivity to the need for quick onboarding and security in remote transactions.
Rapid Agent Onboarding: DigiPay.Guru excels in getting an agent network up and running fast. It offers seamless onboarding, allowing banks to enroll new agents in minutes with automated KYC verification. This automation means less paperwork and faster expansion of agent coverage. In practice, a bank officer or field manager can recruit a shopkeeper as an agent and have them transacting almost immediately after digital verification.
Offline Transaction Capability: Recognizing that many rural areas have unreliable internet, DigiPay’s solution supports offline transactions. Agents can perform key transactions (deposits, withdrawals, etc.) even when connectivity drops, and the system will sync the data once back online. This ensures uninterrupted service to customers and is a big advantage in regions with poor network coverage.
Robust Security: DigiPay.Guru places heavy emphasis on security and fraud prevention. It comes with advanced fraud detection algorithms and supports biometric authentication for customer transactions. This multi-factor security (e.g., fingerprint ID) helps maintain trust, preventing fraudsters from exploiting the agent channel. The platform is also compliant with banking regulations for KYC/AML, giving banks peace of mind on the compliance front.
DigiPay.Guru essentially allows banks to “turn small businesses into financial service hubs,” greatly boosting financial inclusion and customer reach. Imagine a woman in a remote village opening a bank account at a local kiosk and making deposits or withdrawals without traveling miles to town – DigiPay enables exactly that scenario. Banks using DigiPay have reported improved customer experience, reduced operational costs (fewer branches, more digital ops), and even new revenue streams from fees shared with agents. Its combination of offline functionality, strong security, and flexibility makes DigiPay.Guru a formidable tool for any African bank aiming to modernize their services and reach the last-mile customer.
7. CR2
CR2 is an international digital banking software company (originating from Ireland) that has made a significant impact in Africa over the past two decades. With over 60 banks in 35 African countries using its platform to serve more than 100 million customers, CR2 is a trusted name for digital channels, including ATM, mobile, and agency banking. CR2’s solution stands out for its integrated omni-channel approach – branded under its BankWorld digital banking platform.
Omni-Channel Integration: CR2 believes an agent banking channel is most powerful when integrated with other channels. Its platform acts like a “central nervous system” unifying all delivery channels (agents, ATMs, mobile app, etc.) on a core-agnostic foundation. For a bank, this means an agent’s POS device, the ATM network, and the mobile banking app all run on one cohesive system. The result is a seamless customer experience – for example, a customer could deposit cash at an agent and see it reflected instantly on their mobile app or usable at an ATM, thanks to real-time integration.
Strategic Focus & Tools: CR2 frames agency banking not just as a channel, but as a strategic growth engine for banks. Its Agency Banking solution is equipped with tools to achieve various goals: if a bank’s strategy is to decongest branches, the platform ensures agents can handle high-volume transactions quickly and reliably; if the goal is geographic expansion, CR2 provides real-time cash management and float tools to solve the biggest challenge – making sure agents have enough cash/liquidity to serve remote customers. By tailoring technology to strategic outcomes (efficiency, expansion, new segments), CR2 helps banks get significant returns on their agent network investments.
Financial Inclusion Impact: Fostering financial inclusion is at the heart of CR2’s approach. Its agency banking tech has been used for initiatives like women-focused financial products, SME banking in rural areas, and government-backed inclusion programs. By meeting local needs (multiple languages, integration with mobile money, etc.), CR2 helps banks and even regulators drive inclusion. With CR2, a bank can quickly set up networks of agents or merchants to offer basic banking – deposits, withdrawals, transfers – in areas that never had formal banking before. This dramatically expands access to financial services.
CR2 provides a mature, comprehensive digital banking platform in which agency banking plays a key role. Banks choosing CR2 get the advantage of a one-stop solution that ties their agency channel into the wider digital strategy, backed by the experience of many successful deployments in Africa. The platform’s scalability, rich functionality, and track record (60+ African banks) make it a top contender for any bank aiming to modernize and scale up through agent banking.
8. TrustBankCBS
TrustBankCBS (offered by Trust Fintech Ltd) is a core banking software platform that includes a fully integrated Agency Banking module. Unlike stand-alone agency solutions, TrustBankCBS delivers a unified system where branch operations, core banking, and agent banking all live in one solution. This can be especially appealing to small and mid-sized banks or microfinance institutions in Africa that want an all-in-one package. TrustBankCBS’s agency banking solution “enables branchless banking services” and is built to support business growth by expanding a bank’s customer base cost-effectively.
Unified Core & Agent Platform: TrustBankCBS provides an integrated core banking solution with agency banking capabilities baked in. This means banks don’t need to bolt on a separate system for agents – the same platform manages in-branch and agent transactions. The integration ensures seamless data flow between agents and the core ledger in real time, maintaining consistency and simplifying reconciliation.
Agent Network Management: The solution includes tools to manage agent enrollment, agent accounts, and transaction monitoring centrally. Banks can set transaction limits for agents, control what services each agent can perform, and monitor every transaction as it happens. By having these controls, even smaller banks can confidently roll out agents without losing oversight of operations.
Branchless Expansion: The key benefit advertised is branchless expansion. With this solution, a bank can extend its reach to new areas without investing in physical branches or ATMs, as agents armed with a mobile app or POS can provide services on the bank’s behalf. This significantly reduces operational costs and makes it viable to serve low-income or remote customers. TrustBankCBS emphasizes that their Agency module facilitates growth in banking business by tapping populations that were previously uneconomical to reach.
TrustBankCBS is about efficiency and simplicity: one system to run your bank’s core and agent channels together. This can lead to lower IT overhead and easier training (one platform for staff to learn). For African financial institutions that want to launch agency banking quickly – especially those who might be replacing legacy systems – TrustBankCBS offers a secure, all-in-one path to do so, with the confidence of integrated reporting and high security standards built in.
BPC (Banking Payment Context) is a global fintech solution provider known for its SmartVista suite, which covers payments, cards, and digital banking. SmartVista’s Agent Banking solution is a comprehensive platform enabling what BPC calls “digital branchless banking.” BPC has deployed this solution in various emerging markets, including across Africa, often focusing on enabling cashless transactions and financial inclusion through agents. In 2025, TechInAfrica listed BPC’s SmartVista among the top agency banking solutions, noting its strength in omnichannel support and analytics.
Full-Service Agent Transactions: SmartVista Agent Banking allows agents to perform a full range of banking transactions and services for customers. This includes cash deposits, cash withdrawals, money transfers, account-to-account payments, loan repayments, bill payments, mobile airtime top-ups – essentially all common banking needs can be handled by an agent using the system. Importantly, agents can also onboard new customers with instant KYC checks. This means opening a bank account or starting a loan application can happen right at a village shop, with the agent capturing KYC details on a mobile device and the system verifying it in real-time.
Omnichannel & Infrastructure-light: SmartVista is designed to integrate into virtually any infrastructure quickly. Banks can deploy it without major new hardware – agents just use mobile phones or tablets. It supports urban and rural deployments, recognizing the constraints in remote areas. The omnichannel design means it connects smoothly with other banking systems (ATM networks, etc.) and can run in parallel with core banking systems. This reduces time-to-market and costs, allowing banks to turn “ordinary retail or community points into full-service representatives” of the bank. Essentially, the bank is brought to the people, not the other way around.
Control and Security: SmartVista provides strong central control for the bank: instant KYC for customers, full-circle security and compliance checks, and centralized agent management, pricing, and settlement tools. A bank can configure what each agent can do, how much to pay them (commission structures), and settle transactions easily at end of day. All transactions are encrypted and securely transmitted. This level of control is important when scaling to thousands of agents – it ensures risk is managed and the network is governed properly.
BPC’s SmartVista has been praised for enabling cashless ecosystems and giving banks the analytics to make data-driven decisions on their agent networks. For instance, it includes AI-driven analytics that help identify transaction patterns or potential fraud, so the bank can optimize services or intervene when needed. In Africa, where BPC has been active (including projects in Nigeria and other countries), SmartVista helps banks and even mobile money operators to extend banking to the “last mile” and connect to customers who were traditionally out of reach
10. MFS Technologies (Mobile Financial Solutions Ltd)
MFS Technologies Limited is a Nairobi-based fintech company specializing in digital financial services solutions. Formerly known as Mobile Financial Solutions, MFS has rebranded but continues to focus on products that further financial inclusion in Africa. One of its key offerings is an Agency Banking solution that allows banks and financial institutions to quickly roll out agent networks. MFS’s platform is designed for the realities of African markets, offering a cost-efficient, turnkey approach to branchless banking.
Cost-Efficient Network Expansion: MFS advertises that its agency banking solution “enables you to extend your network of branches and services in a cost-efficient manner through mobile and web channels.” This succinctly captures the value proposition – instead of investing in brick-and-mortar branches, banks can use MFS’s technology to reach customers via agents using just a mobile app or web portal. It significantly lowers the capital and operational expenditure needed to grow into new areas.
Comprehensive Solution Set: Beyond basic deposits and withdrawals, MFS’s agency banking ties into other digital offerings. For example, it can integrate with bill payments, mobile wallets, loan management, and e-KYC modules that MFS provides. This means a bank can use one provider (MFS) to handle multiple digital services: an agent could not only open an account for a customer, but also accept their utility bill payments or perform a KYC check using a tablet camera. Such integration provides a one-stop-shop experience for the customer at the agent.
Managed Service & Support: MFS emphasizes that banks can “focus on your business goals and let us manage the technology”. This hints at MFS offering the platform in a managed services or SaaS model, where the fintech handles the technical complexity (hosting, updates, security) and the bank just uses the service. For many banks in Africa, especially smaller ones, this is ideal as it spares them the need to maintain heavy IT infrastructure. MFS provides local support out of Nairobi, which is beneficial for Kenyan and regional banks in terms of responsiveness and understanding local regulatory nuances.
In essence, MFS Technologies offers a practical and locally attuned agency banking solution. It might not be as globally famous as some others on this list, but its focus on cost efficiency, ease of deployment, and local partnerships makes it a valuable player in Africa’s fintech landscape. The company’s success with clients in the region shows that their approach of providing a ready-made, managed platform can quickly get institutions into agent banking with minimal friction – thereby fast-tracking financial inclusion and allowing the bank to grow its market share without the usual heavy investments.
Conclusion
The rise of agency banking in Africa has been fueled by these top technology solution providers, each bringing something unique to the table. Whether it’s Software Group’s extensive experience with large banks, Redian’s local innovation, Craft Silicon’s all-in-one approach, MobiFin’s award-winning features, MuRong’s transformative deployments, DigiPay.Guru’s flexibility, CR2’s integrated platform, TrustBankCBS’s unified core solution, BPC’s payments expertise, or MFS’s cost-efficient model – all are empowering African banks to reach the unreached. By leveraging these solutions, banks and financial institutions across the continent are extending banking services to millions of people at lower cost and with greater convenience than ever before. This not only boosts the providers’ success but, more importantly, drives financial inclusion and economic growth in African communities, truly making agency banking a win-win proposition.
Need a fast, secure agent banking solution rollout? Contact info@finhive.africa
