Scaling payment volumes without the operational weight
A commercial bank in Ghana was carrying rising transaction volumes across fragmented payment workflows. Manual reconciliation and limited real-time visibility were holding back its ability to scale in one of Africa’s most competitive payment markets. It needed a payment switching hub built to grow with the business.
“SFI eVolve has provided the scalable foundation we need to support increasing transaction volumes without adding operational complexity, enabling us to grow confidently.” Commercial Bank, Ghana
Challenge
Transaction volumes were rising, customer expectations were climbing, and competition from fintechs and mobile money providers had turned payment performance into the difference between keeping a customer and losing one.
Manual reconciliation, limited real-time visibility, and operational controls under pressure were creating inefficiency and capping how far the bank was able to scale. It needed a platform to improve operational efficiency, support regulatory compliance, and strengthen reliability across multiple payment channels, without compromising the customer experience.
Solution
SFI eVolve was deployed using all three modules:
- SFI Switch for central transaction processing and clearing
- SFI Client for internet banking and file management
- Service Fees for automated fee management.
Together, they gave the bank a single environment to run every payment channel, with real-time monitoring and reporting across the whole operation.
For the team internally, the shift was immediate. Automation took over tasks once handled by hand, exception management was streamlined, and real-time visibility replaced after-the-fact checking. Staff moved from processing work to higher-value work. For customers, processing became faster, transactions more reliable, and service more consistently available, which strengthened confidence in the bank’s payment services.
How the integration worked
SFI eVolve connected to the bank’s existing core banking and payment systems through standard interfaces and APIs. There was no rip-and-replace and no systems integrator dependency. The platform sits alongside the core banking system rather than replacing it, so the bank kept its existing infrastructure while adding a modern payment processing layer on top.
The deployment followed a structured approach with close collaboration between both teams, and the project completed within the agreed timeline. Bringing bulk payment processing, internet banking and fee collection into one environment removed the gaps between previously separate workflows, which is where much of the manual reconciliation and limited visibility had come from. Live operations and customers saw minimal disruption throughout.
Results
After go-live, payment processing efficiency improved across the operation. Automation rates rose, transaction turnaround times shortened, and operational costs came down. Customer satisfaction improved alongside reliability and compliance control.
The platform gave the bank room to scale, a stronger risk management framework, and the flexibility to respond quickly as market and regulatory requirements change.
- Higher automation rates and reduced manual intervention across payment operations
- Faster transaction turnaround and more consistent service availability
- Lower operational costs through streamlined, single-environment processing
- Stronger compliance posture through audit trails, AES/3DES encryption, and authorisation controls
- A scalable foundation built to support rising volumes without added complexity
“We chose SFI eVolve for a secure, scalable platform matched to our requirements for operational excellence and compliance. We’ve stayed for its reliability, its flexibility, and its ability to evolve alongside our business as volumes grow and requirements change.” Commercial Bank, Ghana
SFI eVolve processes more than R32bn each month across 21 countries and 36+ installations, with close to 100% client retention.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to deploy a payment switching hub like SFI eVolve? Deployment runs in months, not the 18 to 36 months typical of comparable platforms. SFI eVolve integrates with an existing core banking system through standard interfaces and APIs, so banks go live with minimal disruption to operations.
Does SFI eVolve replace a bank’s core banking system? No. SFI eVolve sits alongside the existing core banking system and handles the payment processing, internet banking and fee collection layer on top. There is no rip-and-replace and no systems integrator dependency.
Which payments does SFI eVolve process? SFI eVolve processes bulk payments, EFT, RTGS, SWIFT, and clearing and settlement through the SFI Switch engine, with internet banking through SFI Client and automated fee collection through Service Fees, all in one platform.
How does SFI eVolve support payment compliance in Ghana? SFI eVolve treats African payment schemes as built-in features rather than customisations. Scheme and regulatory updates, including GhIPSS, are absorbed at platform level through configuration. Every transaction carries AES/3DES encryption, real-time authorisation controls and a full audit trail.
Ready to talk? If your payment operations are straining under rising volumes, start with a 30-minute conversation with our experts. anneke.weber@xpertek.co.za · www.xpertek.co.za
