Ethiopia joins PAPSS, and Addis will host Africa’s payments conference

Ethiopia joins PAPSS, and Addis will host Africa’s payments conference

The National Bank of Ethiopia has joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System. COWRY 2026 follows in Addis Ababa on 26 and 27 November.

October 17, 2026

Ethiopia has joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), Afreximbank announced in Addis Ababa on 15 October 2026.

What was announced

The National Bank of Ethiopia and PAPSS also said Ethiopia will host PAPSS COWRY 2026, Africa’s Payments Conference, on 26 and 27 November at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel in Addis Ababa, co-hosted by PAPSS and the central bank.

Why it matters

PAPSS settles cross-border payments between African currencies without routing them through a third currency. Ethiopia is one of the continent’s largest economies and, until recently, one of its most closed financial systems. Its membership widens the corridors in which banks, fintechs and their counsel can use local-currency settlement, and brings the National Bank of Ethiopia’s foreign-exchange rules into the documentation of those flows.

The Meridian lists COWRY 2026 in its events calendar.

Photo: Simfan34 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (illustrative).

The Meridian Editorial Team

Andrew U. — Editorial Director | Damilare A. — Intelligence Director | Amaka Nwoye — Senior Legal Research Analyst | Salome Mensah — Market Intelligence Analyst | May Ndlovu — Editorial Researcher | K.K. Lawal — Senior Correspondent | The Meridian’s editorial team brings experience across West African legal markets, commercial law, market intelligence and structured research. Our standard is simple: evidence first, independent judgement, and analysis grounded in how legal work happens in practice.