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Tulupay, a fintech infrastructure company, has announced the prelaunch of its Pan-African Financial Operating System (FOS), a platform designed to improve interoperability across Africa’s fragmented financial ecosystem.
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The company said the new system aims to connect banks, mobile money operators, digital wallets, and blockchain networks through a unified infrastructure. By doing so, Tulupay hopes to simplify cross-border payments, remittances, and trade across the continent while reducing the inefficiencies that continue to slow financial transactions in Africa.
The development comes at a time when African countries are increasingly pushing for stronger regional integration, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). As digital payments continue to grow rapidly across the continent, industry players now face mounting pressure to build systems that can communicate seamlessly across borders and financial platforms.
Tackling Africa’s Fragmented Payment Ecosystem
Despite the rapid growth of digital finance in Africa, the continent’s payment infrastructure remains highly fragmented. Many countries still operate disconnected financial systems, making cross-border transactions slow, expensive, and difficult for businesses and consumers alike.
According to Tulupay Founder, Felix Achibiri, these structural challenges continue to limit economic growth and financial inclusion across Africa.
He explained that the continent still relies heavily on disconnected payment rails, which increase transaction costs and create delays, especially for cross-border transfers and remittance services.
Achibiri noted that Tulupay’s Financial Operating System seeks to bridge these gaps by creating a single infrastructure capable of linking traditional financial services with modern digital platforms.
“As cross-border transfers remain slow and expensive, and as more African central banks move toward CBDCs, the need for a unifying, interoperable operating system has never been more urgent. Achibiri
His comments reflect a growing concern among financial institutions and policymakers about the need for stronger interoperability within Africa’s digital economy.
A Unified Financial Infrastructure for Africa
According to the company, the Financial Operating System will integrate several financial services into a single framework that individuals, businesses, financial institutions, and regulators can access more efficiently.
The platform combines services such as:
- Payments
- Remittances
- Asset trading
- Investments
- Digital currency management
- Trade settlement systems
By bringing these services under one infrastructure, Tulupay aims to simplify how money moves across the continent while also improving accessibility for users.
The company believes that a connected financial infrastructure will help reduce operational bottlenecks and support faster economic activity across African markets.
Introducing Tulu Switch for Seamless Interoperability
One of the key components of the Financial Operating System is Tulu Switch, a payments interoperability hub designed to facilitate transactions across different financial platforms.
Through a single application interface, Tulu Switch will allow banks, fintech companies, wallets, and payment providers to process transactions seamlessly without relying on multiple disconnected systems.
This feature could significantly improve transaction efficiency by allowing users to move money across various financial platforms more easily.
In addition, interoperability remains one of the biggest challenges in Africa’s digital finance space. Many payment platforms currently operate in isolation, forcing users to rely on expensive intermediaries when transferring money between systems or countries.
Tulupay believes Tulu Switch can help eliminate these barriers and create a more connected payments ecosystem.
Digital Identity and Compliance Through Tulu Identity
Another major component of the platform is Tulu Identity, a digital identity and compliance solution aimed at simplifying customer verification and regulatory processes.
The company said the system will streamline Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and improve compliance management for financial institutions operating across different jurisdictions.
As African countries strengthen regulations around digital finance, identity verification has become increasingly important for reducing fraud, improving transparency, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
By integrating digital identity services directly into the Financial Operating System, Tulupay hopes to help financial institutions onboard users faster while maintaining compliance with local and international standards.
Supporting Trade Through Tulu Gateway
Tulupay also plans to launch Tulu Gateway, a trade-focused platform designed to support cross-border commerce across Africa.
The platform will digitize trade documentation and automate settlement processes, helping businesses conduct transactions more efficiently across different African markets.
Cross-border trade in Africa often suffers from paperwork delays, inconsistent documentation standards, and slow settlement systems. These challenges increase the cost of doing business and discourage many small businesses from expanding beyond their local markets.
However, Tulu Gateway aims to reduce these bottlenecks by digitizing key processes and improving transaction speed.
The company believes this could play an important role in supporting the goals of AfCFTA, which seeks to boost intra-African trade and strengthen regional economic integration.
Tulu Wallet to Combine Fiat and Digital Currency Management
Another feature expected to launch under the Financial Operating System is Tulu Wallet, a solution that allows users to manage both fiat and digital currencies in one place.
The wallet will support multiple forms of digital finance, giving users easier access to transactions involving traditional currencies and blockchain-based assets.
As digital currencies gain traction globally, more financial institutions are exploring ways to integrate them into existing payment systems. Several African central banks are also studying or piloting Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).
Tulupay believes combining fiat and digital currency management within one platform will help users navigate the evolving financial landscape more efficiently.
Expanding Into Asset Tokenisation and Digital Trading
Beyond payments and remittances, Tulupay also plans to support asset tokenisation and digital asset trading through its platform.
The company said the Financial Operating System will include exchange infrastructure for trading digital and tokenised assets. In addition, a blockchain network will serve as the backbone for transactions and settlement across the ecosystem.
Asset tokenisation involves converting real-world assets into digital tokens that can be traded electronically. This technology has gained global attention for its potential to improve liquidity, transparency, and accessibility in financial markets.
Tulupay’s move into this space signals growing interest among African fintech companies in blockchain-based financial infrastructure.
SEC Approval Strengthens Tulupay’s Position
The announcement also follows Tulupay’s approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to participate in its fintech incubation programme.
The programme serves as a pathway for fintech companies seeking regulatory approval for innovative financial products and services.
For Tulupay, participation in the programme represents an important step toward securing licences for:
- Digital asset custody
- Tokenisation services
- Exchange operations
This regulatory backing could help strengthen confidence among investors, financial institutions, and potential partners ahead of the platform’s full rollout.
Unlocking Intra-African Trade Through Interoperability
Achibiri emphasized that improving interoperability and reducing transaction costs will play a critical role in unlocking Africa’s trade potential.
According to him, businesses across the continent continue to face major challenges when conducting cross-border transactions due to high fees, delays, and fragmented financial systems.
He noted that solving these problems will become increasingly important as AfCFTA pushes for deeper economic integration across African markets.
By creating a unified operating system for financial services, Tulupay hopes to support smoother trade, faster payments, and broader financial inclusion across the continent.
Pilot Programmes Underway Ahead of Full Launch
The company confirmed that it is currently running pilot programmes with financial institutions, regulators, and strategic partners ahead of a full commercial rollout.
These pilot programmes will help test the platform’s infrastructure, interoperability capabilities, and compliance systems before wider deployment.
As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, fintech companies increasingly compete to build the infrastructure needed to support the next phase of financial growth.
For Tulupay, the Financial Operating System represents an ambitious attempt to create a connected and interoperable financial ecosystem capable of supporting payments, trade, digital assets, and cross-border commerce across Africa.
