Zambian Fintech Zoyk Gets Approval to Take Zoykpay Into DRC

Zambian fintech Zoyk is expanding its payments business into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after receiving authorisation from the Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC) to offer payment aggregation services through its Zoykpay platform.

The announcement was made on September 10, giving Zoyk a regulatory path to prepare for commercial operations in the DRC. The company is not commercially live in the country yet and still needs to complete the required implementation and regulatory processes before launching.

The approval gives Zoyk a route into a new market as it builds a regional payments business serving companies and financial institutions.

Zoyk's plans for the DRC

Zoykpay connects businesses to different payment providers through one system, allowing them to collect payments and manage transactions without setting up separate integrations with each provider.

The company already offers payment collection, settlement, multi-currency transactions and cross-border payments. In Zambia, its merchant service allows businesses to accept payments from Airtel Money, MTN MoMo and Zamtel through a single balance.

Zoyk plans to apply this model in the DRC, where businesses use a mix of banks, mobile-money operators and other financial providers. The BCC authorisation allows the company to begin putting that infrastructure in place, although it still has implementation and regulatory work to complete before the service can launch.

Expanding beyond Zambia

The DRC move builds on Zoyk's regulatory progress in its home market. In May 2024, the Bank of Zambia designated Zoyk Pay Zambia Limited as a payment aggregator, giving the company a foundation for its payments business in Zambia.

Zoyk has since been working to expand its cross-border capabilities. In June, it partnered with Visa Direct on a digital payments solution targeting Zambia and the wider SADC region, aimed at connecting different payment networks and supporting transfers between accounts and wallets.

That regional focus now extends further into Central Africa. Zoyk says it has active deployments in Zambia, the DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa, with Angola listed as an upcoming market.

For now, Zoyk's focus is on completing the requirements for its DRC launch. Once those are in place, the fintech can begin onboarding businesses and offering payment aggregation services in the country.