Among the local front-runners who are experimenting with blockchain on a significant scale is Absa Bank, which has become the first African banking group to join the global R3 blockchain consortium.
The consortium is a financial innovation firm that has partnered with 42 of the world’s leading banks to design and deliver advanced distributed ledger technologies to global financial markets.
On the back of this membership Absa will be hosting a collaboration with several other South African banks to develop the continent’s first distributed ledger-based banking solution.
The aim of the working group will be to build blockchain-based solutions that address common financial services needs, with the resulting intellectual property being shared by all participating banks.
Ashley Veasey, CIO at Barclays Africa, points out that while this initiative is probably the first of its kind in terms of technology innovation within financial services in Africa, such collaboration is critical to unlocking the value that blockchain could hold for trade in Africa.
Andrew Baker, CIO for corporate and investment banking at Barclays Africa, says: “We see huge potential for financial institutions in Africa to embrace disruptive technologies like blockchain, and use them to empower individuals and improve the lives of their customers. However, its true value will only be realised if we work together to co-develop and share solutions to common problems.
“Blockchain is still maturing and has yet to gain the trust of financial institutions and consumers alike. But if and when it happens, widespread adoption will happen quickly. Change is currently focused on disruptive innovation but will become more mainstream as industry alliances such as R3 and regulatory acceptance grows.”
Baker adds that the Barclays Africa has been experimenting with blockchain for some time. In mid-2015 it launched an Africa-wide blockchain Supply Chain Challenge through its Rise innovation initiative. It also co-hosted the second Blockchain and Bitcoin Africa Conference in February this year, and currently has more than ten blockchain-based experiments and research initiatives that are being piloted within the bank.
