Ripple Breaks New Ground in Africa with Absa Bank Custody Deal
Ripple is extending its institutional custody infrastructure to Africa through a landmark partnership with Absa Bank, one of South Africa’s largest financial institutions.
ABSA share price (Source: Google Finance)
The deal marks Ripple’s first major custody client on the continent and signals a broader wave of institutional interest in tokenized assets across emerging markets.
Absa to Offer Digital Asset Custody with Ripple
Under the new partnership, Absa will integrate Ripple’s digital asset custody technology to store and manage cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets for its clients. The move enables the bank to offer secure and compliant custody solutions as African markets begin to clarify their regulatory frameworks around digital assets.
Ripple’s institutional custody product was launched earlier this year and is already live with clients in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The Absa integration extends that footprint into Africa, giving local institutions access to Ripple’s blockchain-based infrastructure built specifically for regulated financial entities.
Strengthening Ripple’s Institutional Strategy
The partnership reinforces Ripple’s broader strategy to serve as a back-end provider of blockchain infrastructure for banks and financial institutions.
By offering custody and settlement technology, Ripple positions itself as a key bridge between traditional finance and the digital asset economy.
Absa’s adoption of Ripple’s custody solution underscores the growing recognition among African banks that blockchain technology can enhance efficiency, reduce transaction costs, and improve cross-border settlement.
According to Ripple’s 2025 New Value Report, 64% of finance leaders in the Middle East and Africa identify faster settlement and lower costs as their main motivation for adopting blockchain-based currencies.
Ripple’s Growing Presence in Africa
This partnership builds on Ripple’s recent expansion across the continent. Earlier in 2025, Ripple announced a collaboration with fintech firm Chipper Cash to power crypto-enabled payments across multiple African markets.
The company also confirmed that its USD-backed stablecoin, RLUSD, will soon roll out in Africa — further cementing its presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing financial regions.
Ripple’s push into Africa aligns with its global expansion strategy, which includes more than 60 regulatory licenses and registrations worldwide. This extensive compliance footprint gives Ripple a competitive edge in jurisdictions where banks remain cautious about entering the digital asset space.
South Africa’s Leap into Tokenized Finance
Once live, the Absa partnership will make South Africa one of the few African markets with a major bank-backed crypto custody offering.
It marks a significant milestone for the country’s evolving financial landscape — one where blockchain-based infrastructure is becoming integral to the modernization of banking services.
As Ripple deepens its roots on the continent, its collaboration with Absa could set a precedent for other African institutions exploring tokenization and digital asset management, paving the way for broader adoption of blockchain technology across emerging markets.
