Strategic Collaboration Between Banknbox and ASD Smart to Develop Instant Payment Infrastructure and Enhance Financial Inclusion in Sudan

Cairo, Egypt – February 15, 2026 – In a significant step reflecting the rapid digital transformation of Sudan’s financial sector, Banknbox, a leading provider of digital banking and payment technology solutions, announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with ASD Smart, a Sudanese digital and smart solutions company.

The collaboration aims to build and operate advanced digital systems and platforms for banks in the Republic of Sudan, including the development of an instant payment infrastructure in line with the latest international technical standards.

Addressing Market Challenges and Expanding Financial Access

This partnership comes at a time when the Sudanese market faces substantial challenges in access to banking services. A significant portion of the population currently struggles to reach traditional banking channels, making financial inclusion a national priority for driving economic growth and stimulating commercial and investment activities.

Complementary Expertise and Strategic Value

The partnership brings together:

• Banknbox – a regional leader in banking and payment technology platforms, with extensive experience in financial systems engineering and scalable infrastructure built to international standards.
• ASD Smart – a Sudanese digital solutions company with strong institutional expertise and an established network within the Sudanese banking sector, including ongoing collaborations with several banks and preliminary licensing progress for a central financial switch. The company also maintains market readiness through its network of merchants and billers.

ASD Smart’s leadership and network collectively bring over 60 years of accumulated experience within the Sudanese banking ecosystem, including senior management backgrounds in major commercial banks. This ensures alignment with governance, compliance, and regulatory requirements, while enabling scalable technical implementation.

Unified Payment Platform and Central Transaction Switch

Under the agreement, the two companies will develop a unified payment platform for Sudanese banks by connecting financial institutions through a centrally licensed transaction switch approved by the Central Bank of Sudan.

The platform will enable real-time interbank transfers, ensuring secure, efficient, and instant financial transactions.

It will also provide a comprehensive environment for payment acceptance and settlement across multiple channels, including:

• Mobile applications
• Point-of-sale (POS) devices
• E-commerce platforms
• Online payment services

This initiative will reduce reliance on cash and increase transparency in financial transactions, while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational scalability.

Roadmap for Bank Integration Before Year-End

ASD Smart confirmed its plan to connect several Sudanese banks to the new platform before the end of the current year. This milestone reflects a structured implementation timeline focused on operational stability, compliance, and accelerated digital transformation within the banking sector.

By leveraging existing market relationships and licensing progress, the rollout cycle is expected to be faster compared to greenfield implementations.

Integrated Infrastructure to Support Financial Inclusion

The collaboration extends beyond instant payments to the development of a comprehensive digital infrastructure enabling diverse payment acceptance and settlement solutions. This approach is designed to expand access to financial services, particularly in underserved regions lacking traditional banking branches.

Enhancing financial inclusion is a core objective of the partnership, as integrating broader segments of society into the formal financial system plays a crucial role in economic growth and improved living standards.

Leadership Statements

Engineer Bassem Mahmoud, CEO of Banknbox, expressed his enthusiasm for the strategic collaboration, emphasizing that the partnership represents a major step toward building a modern digital financial ecosystem in Sudan. He highlighted that the initiative will accelerate digital transformation, enhance instant payment services, and improve overall banking efficiency, ultimately supporting the Sudanese economy.

Dr. Asjad Al Kazim also welcomed the partnership, praising Banknbox’s technical expertise and execution capabilities. She noted that the collaboration represents a strong model of integration between technical, operational, and market expertise, combining Banknbox’s experience in building digital payment platforms with ASD Smart’s deep understanding of the Sudanese market and banking networks.

A Long-Term Vision for Sudan’s Digital Financial Future

This agreement marks the beginning of a long-term strategic cooperation aimed at building a fully integrated digital financial ecosystem aligned with global best practices. The initiative is expected to reshape Sudan’s banking landscape by strengthening interbank connectivity, accelerating the adoption of modern digital services, and advancing financial inclusion across the country.

The Sudanese banking sector anticipates tangible outcomes from this collaboration, which is positioned to become a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey.