GIM-UEMOA and Backbase join forces to boost banking innovation and financial inclusion in West Africa – Ecofin Agency

(BACKBASE) – The GIMpay digital platform aims to support a unique digital ecosystem to foster financial innovation in the UEMOA zone.

GIM-UEMOA, the international organization in charge of the interbank electronic payment system for the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) zone, has joined forces with Backbase, the pioneer of engagement banking, to develop the Super App, GIMpay.

The GIMpay infrastructure and the associated new ecosystem under construction constitute the GIM-UEMOA’s new mutualization proposal that will redefine the digital financial landscape in the UEMOA, promoting financial inclusion, fintech innovation and improved customer experience.

The partnership aims to provide simplified digital financial services that go beyond conventional banking, offering a solution blending lifestyle and financial offerings to the region’s digitally-savvy younger generations.

The GIMpay Super App, powered by the Backbase Engagement Banking platform, will offer a comprehensive suite of financial services enabling an instant, frictionless customer experience while cultivating a dynamic ecosystem that stimulates collaboration and innovation between banks, microfinance structures, e-money institutions, fintech, mobile money providers and states in the region.

“GIM-UEMOA has the ambition to match the opportunity for growth and need for financial inclusion in West Africa,” Jouk Pleiter, Founder and CEO of Backbase said. “We are excited and proud to partner with them to bring this game-changing service to their members and their customers.”

“GIMpay is a catalyst for the initiatives of banks, e-money institutions, decentralized financial services, fintech and national treasuries in mastering the customer experience,” said Minayegnan Coulibaly, Managing Director of GIM-UEMOA. “I look forward to seeing the value this can create for the ecosystem and the economic impact it can have for the citizens of our countries.”

About Backbase

Backbase is on a mission to re-architect banking around the customer.

Backbase created the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform a unified platform with the customer at the center, empowering banks to accelerate their digital transformation. From customer onboarding, to servicing, loyalty and loan origination, our single platform open and frictionless, with ready-to-go apps improves every aspect of the customer experience. Built from the ground up with the customer at the heart, our Engagement Banking Platform easily plugs into existing core banking systems and comes pre-integrated with the latest fintechs so financial institutions can innovate at scale.

Industry analysts Gartner, Celent, Omdia and IDC continuously recognize Backbase’s category leadership. Over 120 financials around the world have embraced the Backbase Engagement Banking Platform including AIB, Banorte, Barclays, BIAT, Bank of the Philippine Islands, BDO, BNP Paribas, Banque Saudi Fransi, BRD, Citibank, Citizens Bank, Discovery Bank, First National Bank, HDFC, Ila Bank, KeyBank, Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest, Navy Federal Credit Union, OTP Group, PostFinance, Raiffeisen, RBC, Standard Bank, Saudi National Bank, Société Générale, Truist, and TPBank.

Backbase is a private fintech company, founded in 2003 in Amsterdam (Global HQ), with regional offices in Atlanta (Americas HQ), Boise, Cardiff, Dubai, Hyderabad, Kraków, London, Mexico City, Milano, New York, Singapore (Asia HQ), Sydney, and Toronto. www.backbase.com

About GIM-UEMOA

The Groupement Interbancaire Monétique de l’UEMOA (GIM-UEMOA) brings together 145 members, including banks, financial and postal institutions, microfinance structures and electronic money institutions. Our main mission is to promote electronic payment systems and means to the banking and financial sectors, administrations and populations of the UEMOA. www.gim-uemoa.org