Stables and Access Bank South Africa are investigating a new infrastructure for cross-border payments.

      TL;DR: Stables, an Australian stablecoin payment infrastructure company, has partnered with Access Bank South Africa to investigate cross-border payment solutions for businesses. This initiative marks Stables' initial foray into Africa after establishing its USDT settlement capabilities throughout Asia with partnerships and a single-API enterprise platform. Both organizations will assess payment and settlement solutions, with any products pending regulatory approval. The push to modernize cross-border payments is increasingly focused on emerging markets, where businesses still face high costs, settlement delays, and fragmented financial systems despite increasing international trade. Stables aims to leverage this opportunity.

      The firms are working together to develop new payment infrastructure to enhance the way businesses transfer money across borders. Instead of immediately launching a new product, they will first assess potential payment and settlement solutions that could assist companies operating in regional and global markets. This effort signifies Stables’ first significant entry into Africa, specifically through South Africa.

      This expansion follows a year of progress in Asia, where Stables has been expanding its stablecoin payment infrastructure. Earlier this year, it grew its geographic presence through a partnership with eStable, broadening its USDT settlement capabilities into more Asian markets. The company has also introduced enterprise infrastructure that allows businesses to integrate compliant stablecoin payments, liquidity, and multi-currency settlement through a single API, now supporting operations in over 160 markets.

      This strategy aligns with a wider transformation in the payments sector. While discussions around stablecoins have predominantly centered on trading and crypto-focused applications, infrastructure providers like Stables are increasingly focusing on enterprise payments, where companies are still reliant on costly, sluggish, and outdated cross-border payment systems.

      Africa presents a substantial opportunity in this transition, as trade among African economies and with international markets continues to expand. Businesses are seeking payment systems that are faster, more transparent, and better aligned with global commerce needs.

      By combining the banking expertise of Access Bank South Africa with Stables' payment infrastructure, they aim to enhance how businesses send, receive, and manage payments across multiple regions.

      “Innovation remains key to delivering value to our customers. Our partnership with Stables provides a chance to explore new payment strategies that can assist businesses in international markets. We are eager to work together to evaluate solutions that could boost efficiency, elevate customer experiences, and impact the future of payments,” stated Abiodun Dada, CEO of Access Bank South Africa.

      For Stables, this collaboration is an essential part of a larger international expansion plan. “Africa is a crucial growth market in global payments and aligns perfectly with Stables’ direction. South Africa is just the beginning,” commented Bernardo Bilotta, CEO and Co-Founder of Stables. “Businesses increasingly require payment infrastructure that operates as rapidly as commerce itself, and partnering with Access Bank South Africa enables us to explore solutions tailored to how businesses in the region actually move funds.”

      The organizations indicated they would explore opportunities in payments and related financial services, with potential commercial products subject to regulatory approvals and internal governance processes.

      In summary, Stables' growth in Asia and its partnership with Access Bank South Africa highlight a corridor-by-corridor expansion approach. Rather than competing as another consumer payments application, Stables aims to serve as the foundational layer for cross-border trade, anticipating that businesses will be significant beneficiaries as stablecoins transition from crypto markets to mainstream financial services. Stables is positioning itself to capitalize on the trend that the next wave of stablecoin adoption will likely be driven by companies transferring capital through some of the world’s rapidly growing economic corridors, rather than by retail consumers.