CRDB Bank, the largest private universal bank in Tanzania, has recently forged a strategic partnership with BPC, a renowned global leader in payment solutions, to migrate its acquiring and issuing systems to BPC’s cutting-edge SmartVista platform. This move signifies a pivotal step for CRDB Bank in expanding its operations across Tanzania, Burundi, and DR Congo, aligning with its core mission of providing secure and innovative banking experiences to its diverse customer base.
The decision to migrate to the SmartVista platform was driven by CRDB Bank’s need for a modern, scalable, and multi-institutional technological solution that could support instant card product launches, advanced integrational capabilities, and affordable total cost of ownership. By consolidating its entire multi-country ecosystem under one microservices architecture, CRDB Bank has significantly enhanced its operational efficiency while ensuring compliance with both national regulations and international scheme certifications.
BPC successfully migrated the issuing and acquiring functionality of CRDB Bank, its subsidiaries in Burundi and DR Congo, and affiliates such as Amana, Vision Fund, and KCBL (now part of bank CBT). The revamped card issuing capabilities now encompass a wide range of card types, including corporate, virtual, proprietary, loyalty, and specialized cards like fuel and hospital cards, in addition to internationally branded cards such as Visa, Mastercard, and UPI. On the acquiring side, CRDB Bank now supports global brands across its entire POS network, offering services like cardless withdrawals, foreign exchange at ATMs, and advanced features like utility payments and dynamic currency conversion.
Through leveraging the advanced integration capabilities of the SmartVista platform, CRDB Bank has seamlessly connected its core modules with its mobile banking (Simbanking) and agency banking (Wakala) services, ensuring a seamless omnichannel experience for its customers across its multi-institutional network.
The adoption of BPC’s next-generation platform has empowered CRDB Bank with a modular infrastructure that enables seamless integration of all applications and components, compliance with international schemes and PCI-DSS standards, instant onboarding of affiliate institutions to the CRDB platform, and enhanced flexibility for continuous innovations. To date, over 4.5 million cards have been issued through the upgraded issuing platform, marking a significant milestone in CRDB Bank’s digital transformation journey.
Abdulmajid Nsekela, Group CEO for CRDB Bank, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership with BPC, highlighting the expanded capabilities in issuing and acquiring enabled by the migration to the SmartVista platform. He emphasized CRDB Bank’s commitment to delivering modern, secure, and convenient banking services to customers in Tanzania, Burundi, DR Congo, and beyond, and looked forward to further enhancing digital experiences through the ongoing partnership with BPC.
Grant Truter, Chief Commercial Officer at BPC, commended CRDB for entrusting BPC with this critical legacy migration, emphasizing BPC’s expertise in delivering scalable and future-proof solutions that empower customers to expand their networks and drive payment innovations. He reiterated BPC’s commitment to supporting CRDB’s vision of providing modern banking experiences and driving financial inclusion and innovation.
In conclusion, CRDB Bank’s migration to BPC’s SmartVista platform represents a significant milestone in its digital transformation journey, positioning the bank at the forefront of innovation and customer-centric banking services. With a strong focus on partnerships, excellence, and sustainability, CRDB Bank is well-equipped to shape the future of banking in Africa, empowering communities, enabling businesses, and transforming lives.
