Infrastructure
Technology & Architecture
Enterprise-grade clearing infrastructure built on R3 Corda 5 distributed ledger open standards — designed for easy bank onboarding, built on proven enterprise DLT, and ISO 20022 native.
Core Components
Six Pillars of the Platform
● Prototype in Development
The PayFi platform is engineered across six key technical dimensions, each addressing a critical requirement for enterprise-grade clearing operations.
01 — ISO 20022 Standards
Full ISO 20022 integration and open-sourced standards ensuring interoperability and future-proofing. Compatible with global messaging standards for seamless international connectivity.
Interoperability
02 — Working Prototype
A working prototype has been developed for credit push pacs.008 and pacs.002 receipts, with the ability for any approved bank to seamlessly connect to the clearing network. Designed for rapid and straightforward participant onboarding.
Demo available at demo.payfi.co.za
03 — Enterprise Technology: R3 Corda
Built on R3 Corda — the enterprise DLT platform purpose-built for regulated financial services. Proven at scale by central banks globally and widely recognised as the leading platform for financial-grade DLT.
R3 Corda
04 — Single Shared Ledger
Permissioned DLT protocols enable a single ledger shared between banks, with privacy by design — only the parties to a transaction can see their data. Eliminates reconciliation without sacrificing confidentiality.
Privacy by Design
05 — SARB wCBDC Integration
Built to Integrate with SARB wCBDC
Architecture designed from the outset to integrate with the South African Reserve Bank’s wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency infrastructure, aligning with the future direction of the national payments system.
CBDC Integration Ready
06 — Sender Push Payments Focus
Initial deployment focuses on domestic EFT credit transfers — the pacs.008 and pacs.002 flow where the sender’s bank initiates a payment to the creditor’s bank and receives a receipt.
pacs.008 and pacs.002
Designed for easy bank onboarding · Built on proven enterprise DLT · ISO 20022 native
Platform Foundation
Why R3 Corda
Corda is purpose-engineered for regulated financial services, with architectural decisions that make it the right foundation for interbank clearing.
Built for Regulated Finance
R3 Corda was designed from the ground up for the requirements of regulated financial institutions, including privacy, identity, and legal finality of transactions.
Proven at Scale Globally
R3 Corda is deployed by central banks and financial institutions worldwide, validating its enterprise-readiness for mission-critical payment infrastructure.
Privacy by Architecture
Unlike public blockchains, Corda’s permissioned model ensures transaction data is only shared with parties that have a legitimate need — a fundamental requirement for interbank clearing.
Designed to match SARB wCBDC
The SARB currently uses R3 Corda for its modernized settlement rails, R3 Corda is the natural clearing DLT solution for inter-operability. Corda’s smart contract model enables atomic swaps — clearing and settlement resolved in a single indivisible transaction, eliminating settlement risk entirely.
Corda’s architecture ensures that only parties to a transaction can see that transaction’s data — a fundamental requirement for interbank clearing where competitive sensitivity is paramount.
Future Readiness
SARB wCBDC Integration Ready
PayFi is architected to integrate with the South African Reserve Bank’s wholesale Central Bank Digital Currency infrastructure — positioning the platform at the forefront of monetary innovation.
Central Bank Alignment
Built to align with SARB’s strategic direction for the modernisation of South Africa’s payment infrastructure through the PEM Programme.
DLT Layer Integration
The PayFi DLT layer is engineered to connect directly to the SARB’s DLT settlement infrastructure, enabling native wCBDC settlement flows between participants.
Pan-African Scalability
The open-standards architecture is designed to extend beyond South Africa, supporting PayFi’s vision for a pan-African clearing rail serving banks across the continent.
Architecture Principles
Designed for easy bank onboarding · Built on proven enterprise DLT · ISO 20022 native
Want to Learn More?
Get in touch to discuss how PayFi can serve your institution’s clearing needs.
Enterprise DLT clearing infrastructure for digital banks across Africa.
© 2026 PayFi. Private and Confidential. All rights reserved.