Vladimir Putin proposes advanced payment networks to African countries
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on O País
Vladimir Putin has proposed that African countries connect to next-generation international payment networks using conventional and digital currencies. The Russian president praised their sovereignty and resistance to external restrictions at the Russia-Africa summit, according to O País.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed that African countries connect to an international payments infrastructure developed by the Russian company A7. At the third Russia-Africa summit, he presented the technology as enabling online transactions using conventional and digital currencies, according to O País.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the proposed payments cost 0.3% per transaction. Russian presidential administration official Maxim Oreshkin added that a Russian bank had partnered with foreign partners and non-bank financial organisations to make international payments without going through the Western financial system, according to O País.
Created in 2024 with the participation of PSB, A7 opened representative offices in Nigeria and Zimbabwe in 2025. Its infrastructure covers more than 100 countries and its services are used by more than 15,000 foreign trade actors, while the volume of payments processed by the company exceeded 10,000 billion roubles in 2025, according to O País.
