Apr 24, 2025
Cross Switch, a leading provider of innovative payment solutions, has reached a significant milestone by securing its own Third-Party Payment Processor (TPPP) licence.
The TPPP, issued by the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) and sponsored by Absa, is a regulatory status that strengthens Cross Switch’s position in the payments ecosystem. This achievement complements Cross Switch’s recent certification as a Visa Payment Facilitator (PayFac).
Cross Switch brings a highly flexible payment platform to South Africa, enabling business scalability and growth. The company can now independently onboard merchants, fintechs and charities, substantially enhancing its service offering and announcing itself as an essential player in the South African payments landscape.
By obtaining an all-important TPPP licence, Cross Switch has reinforced its commitment to delivering quality, compliant and flexible payment solutions tailored specifically for South Africa’s private and charitable sectors.
Cross Switch’s entry as a licensed provider brings an adaptable API that allows South African merchants to transact seamlessly on the African continent, including in key markets such as South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Ivory Coast. For merchants looking to expand into Latin America, Cross Switch also offers Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Chile — with new countries, both in Africa and in other emerging markets, to be announced very soon!
“This is a vital step in expanding our network and strengthening our presence across the continent,” said Mark Chirnside, CEO of Africa, Cross Switch. “By enabling local merchants with multiple payment options, we’re empowering African businesses with the tools to reach broader markets and unlock growth opportunities.”
Cross Switch now enables South African businesses to confidently target rapid expansion and deeper market penetration through frictionless access to local and international payment methods via its flexible API (CS+). The single API empowers merchants to accept payments across Africa and LATAM, and accept the local payment methods.
Cross Switch’s immediate future in South Africa involves accelerating merchant onboarding. Contracts already signed represent a client base exceeding 1,000 merchants in South Africa. To complement over 1,000 merchants already using CS+ on the Continent.
Securing this licensing is a significant step forward in the Cross Switch journey. The company strives to realise its vision of delivering modern payment solutions that meet the varied needs of merchants and non-profits. The company’s highly flexible payment platform drives financial inclusion and business scalability.
The company is also committed to expanding rapidly, enhancing its payment methods, and integrating advanced reconciliation engines — all underpinned by rigorous fraud prevention and risk management systems.
“Investing in South Africa is a strategic priority for Cross Switch,” said Tim Davis, Group CEO of Cross Switch. “We’re resourcing up locally to ensure we’re ready to meet growing demand, and this licence and certification enable us to deliver world-class payment services that are both agile and scalable.”
Cross Switch invites businesses interested in exploring robust and flexible payment solutions to connect directly at https://cross-switch.com/contact-us/ to learn how its tailored offerings can support and amplify their operational ambitions.
Contact
South Africa: (+27) 21 205 5818
Luxembourg: (+352) 2088 1454
https://cross-switch.com/contact-us/
About Cross Switch
Cross Switch is a payments technology company founded in 2022, operating across emerging markets, with active operations in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast and across Latin America. It provides flexible, secure and scalable solutions that support both local and cross-border transactions, helping merchants, fintechs and non-profits expand their reach and streamline their operations. Cross Switch is committed to driving financial inclusion and growth through collaboration, robust infrastructure, high service levels and a strong focus on emerging market needs.
Mar 20, 2025
Cross Switch, a global provider of payment processing solutions, announces that Tim Davis, Global CEO, and Mark Chirnside, Global Chief Revenue Officer & CEO Africa, will be attending Pay360 in London next week. As one of the more significant gatherings in the payments industry, Pay360 provides a key platform for thought leaders, financial institutions, and fintechs to discuss the future of payments and digital finance.
With operations live in Morocco, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile, Cross Switch is focused on delivering scalable and secure payment solutions for businesses operating in high-growth markets. The company serves a diverse range of clients, including e-commerce platforms, banks, payment service providers (PSPs), and large-scale merchants requiring seamless and efficient payment processing.
Cross Switch’s CS+ platform is a comprehensive, client-centric payment processing solution designed to streamline both local and cross-border transactions. CS+ enables businesses to connect with payment providers and payment methods worldwide through a single integration, eliminating the need for multiple APIs and reducing operational complexity. The platform orchestrates payments across providers, acquirers, and banks, ensuring transactions are intelligently routed for optimal performance, lower costs, and higher authorisation rates.
Beyond transaction processing, CS+ offers consolidated reporting, risk management, and fraud prevention tools, allowing businesses to analyse payment data in a unified manner while enhancing security and compliance. Trusted by leading merchants, online marketplaces, fintech companies, banks, and PSPs, CS+ empowers businesses to scale efficiently without the burden of payment infrastructure management.
“Pay360 is an essential forum for industry collaboration, where key players can exchange insights on the latest advancements in digital payments,” said Tim Davis, Global CEO of Cross Switch. “Our participation reflects our commitment to supporting businesses with robust, scalable payment solutions that address the complexities of both emerging and established markets.”
Mark Chirnside, Global CRO & CEO Africa, added: “The demand for seamless, cross-border transactions continues to grow, particularly in high-growth economies. At Pay360, we look forward to engaging with industry leaders and discussing how Cross Switch’s technology can help businesses navigate the evolving payments landscape with greater efficiency and reliability.”
As the digital payments sector continues to expand, Cross Switch remains at the forefront of innovation, equipping merchants, banks, and PSPs with the tools needed to optimise payment processes and enhance customer experiences.
For those attending Pay360, Tim Davis and Mark Chirnside will be available to discuss the latest trends in digital payments and explore potential partnerships.
About Cross Switch
Founded in 2021, Cross Switch is a leading provider of advanced payment processing technology, specialising in emerging markets. The company empowers merchants, banks, fintechs, and PSPs with secure, compliant, and scalable payment solutions, enabling seamless transactions and business expansion. With a growing presence across multiple regions, Cross Switch continues to drive innovation and financial inclusion through its technology-driven approach.
For more information, visit www.cross-switch.com
Apr 18, 2024
MALTA, 18 April 2024 – CROSS SWITCH, provider of cutting-edge global payment processing platform CS+, proudly announces the appointment of two highly experienced payments experts to its leadership team.
Mark Chirnside joins CROSS SWITCH to spearhead the expansion of the business in all markets, while Charles Elliman will focus on driving exponential growth in Africa.
Chirnside brings over two decades of invaluable experience in the financial services industry. With a deep understanding of the evolving payments landscape and a relentless drive for innovation, Chirnside is uniquely positioned to propel CROSS SWITCH’s growth trajectory, leveraging his expertise in digital channels and revenue generation.
“CROSS SWITCH is poised for tremendous growth, especially with our focus and expertise in emerging markets. I look forward to working closely with the team to deliver innovative solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities in this dynamic market,” said Mark Chirnside, Global Chief Revenue Officer & CEO Africa.
According to a recent report by Statista, digital payments worldwide are expected to show an annual growth rate from 2024-2028 of 9.52%, resulting in a projected total amount of US$16.62 trillion by 2028. For Africa, the total transaction value of digital payments is expected to show a higher annual growth rate of 12.65% during the same period, resulting in a projected total amount of US$314.80 billion by 2028.
In parallel, Charles Elliman, Chief Commercial Officer, assumes the role of leading CROSS SWITCH’s initiatives for this exponential growth in Africa. With a career spanning a quarter of a century, Elliman has firmly established himself as a leading specialist in the realms of e-commerce and fintech across the African continent. His appointment underscores the company’s commitment to fostering financial inclusion and driving sustainable economic development in this key emerging economy.
CROSS SWITCH’s Global CEO, Tim Davis, expressed enthusiasm about the new appointments, emphasising their strategic importance in driving the company’s mission forward. “Mark and Charles bring a wealth of experience and their expertise will be instrumental as we continue to deliver value to our partners and clients, particularly in emerging economies where the digital payments landscape is growing faster than traditional markets,” comments Davis.
ABOUT CROSS SWITCH TECHNOLOGY LIMITED.
Founded in 2021, CROSS SWITCH is a leading provider of leading-edge payment processing platform, CS+ specialising in emerging economies. CROSS SWITCH empowers organisations and businesses such as merchants, online marketplaces, PSPs, banks, and fintechs with compliant, fast-to-integrate, trusted payment services, enabling them to expand into new economies and drive growth. www.cross-switch.com
For inquiries, please contact:
[email protected]
Mar 8, 2023
Cross Switch Ghana LTD, and Cross Switch (https://www.Cross-Switch.com) International S.A.R.L. are pleased to announce that Cross Switch Ghana LTD has obtained approval from the Bank of Ghana to operate as an Enhanced Payment Service Provider.
Cross Switch Ghana LTD was recently granted approval by the Bank of Ghana to operate as an Enhanced Payment Service Provider (EPSP). As an EPSP, Cross Switch Ghana is set to leverage its payments and technology infrastructure to digitise merchant payments, collections and disbursements for ecommerce, remittances as well as for financial inclusion.
The payments space in Ghana has been growing since the Bank of Ghana introduced the Payment Systems and Services Act (2019) and the National Payment Systems Strategic Plan (2019-2024) to create an enabling regulatory environment which fosters efficient payments, improves financial inclusion and enhances financial innovations. Concurrently, there has been strong growth in mobile money as well as other payments mechanisms. Merchants are increasingly looking for innovative, robust and scalable services such as those provided by Cross Switch Ghana and our services will enable our merchants and partners to connect and reach out to a wider customer base with state-of-the-art services. https://Cross-SwitchGhana.com
Mr. Saqib Nazir, CEO of Cross Switch Ghana said “Cross Switch Ghana, as part of the Cross Switch Group of Companies, is excited about this next step of our journey as an EPSP. We look forward to tapping into the Group’s knowledge base and expertise to provide innovative solutions to the challenges that emerging markets face. We expect to contribute significantly to the digital payments ecosystem in Africa and thus contribute to Africa’s development.”
Cross Switch International S.A.R.L. , led by Tim Davis, is a pan-African focused fintech with extensive knowledge and experience managing payment systems across emerging markets. It has developed a state-of-the-art payments platform (CS+) which is being deployed both within Africa and across other markets. Cross Switch has acquired and established a number of African technology and payments businesses. Its technology supports all payment methods utilised across the African continent. Enabling local and international merchants to send and receive monies within local markets, across Africa and into and out of Africa. Cross Switch has established and invested in companies in Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa. It is expanding rapidly across Africa through green field ventures, partnerships and acquisitions, with a focus on Western Africa. Cross Switch recently announced its acquisition of a 50% stake in Vantage Payment Systems, a leading Moroccan fintech providing online payment solutions. https://www.Cross-Switch.com https://VPSCorp.ma https://Payzone.ma
Cross Switch’s CEO, Tim Davis, remarked “We have witnessed the evolution of Cross Switch Ghana from a local fintech company to a licensed Enhanced PSP. Sharing a common set of values and a common mission to democratize technology and drive social impact across Africa. With their exceptional team and proven ability to provide relevant value-added services, we believe the company will excel in the fast-moving fintech space.”
Feb 16, 2023
Fuelling democratisation of payments in the Moroccan market with innovative – trustworthy – agile – simple – quality solutions.
CROSS SWITCH and Equity Invest are pleased to announce that CROSS SWITCH has acquired a 50% stake in Vantage Payment Systems.
Vantage Payment Systems (VPS), is a leading Moroccan fintech providing simple and secure online payment solutions. Since its establishment in 2014, VPS has acquired in-depth expertise in local payment methods in Morocco and the technology required to support its business. To meet the needs of its customers in the new digital age. VPS offers various multi-channel payment services to e-commerce merchants, e-Gov, and multiple customers in different sectors. It owns the brands Payzone and Payexpress and also manages a number of prepaid card programs with different partners. (VPScorp.ma) (Payzone.ma).
As part of the transaction, VPS has raised its capital to 10 Million Dhs, has nominated Mr Mustapha Badr Ezzaman as managing director and its founder, Mr. Ali Bettahi, as President of its board. VPS has also nominated a new board with different members from the fintech industry with deep international experience.
Cross Switch Luxembourg (CSL), led by Tim Davis, is a pan-African focused fintech with extensive knowledge and experience managing payment systems across emerging markets. It has developed a state-of-the-art payments platform (CS+) and has acquired and established a number of African technology and payments businesses. CSL’s technology supports all payment methods utilised across the African continent. Enabling local and international merchants to send and receive monies within local markets, across Africa and into and out of Africa. CSL has established in Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and South Africa and is expanding rapidly across Africa through green field ventures, partnerships and acquisitions. www.Cross-Switch.com
Equity Invest (EI), is a Morocco based technology holding company which invests in leaders in their respective sectors at the forefront of technology. Providing innovative solutions to its clients from various sectors such as banking, industry, public institutions, defence, cities, and private companies. EI remains a 50% shareholder of VPS. In addition to VPS, EI also owns significant interests in different technology companies in different sectors: Fintech, energy, security and IT, and digital services. EI was founded by Mr. Ali Bettahi in 2014, and has ambitions to become a leading technology operator in Africa.
