In fast-growing markets, genuine transformation often begins in places few expect. In Africa, most people assume the next leap in digital payments will come from banks, mobile money operators or fintech apps.
I believe the opposite.
The real leap will come from essential services such as water, services that reach every household long before traditional financial products do. Because when a service is universal, the pathway to financial access is universal as well.
This belief is why our new Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Régie de Distribution d’Eau, or REGIDESO, the national water utility of the Democratic Republic of Congo, represents far more than a technology partnership. It is a practical blueprint for expanding financial inclusion through the daily routines of communities.
Why the DRC
The Democratic Republic of Congo, or the DRC, sits at the heart of Central Africa with one of the youngest populations in the region. Expectations for convenience and transparency are rising. Families want essential services to work as simply as the phones in their hands.
Water is an essential part of living. And REGIDESO’s nationwide water network reaches deep into the communities that financial services often struggle to serve. This is where inclusion can begin. Not through complex financial products, but through the utility people rely on every single day.
When water delivery is paired with digital payments, remittances and simple wallet tools, households gain structure, control and clarity over their monthly commitments. This creates an entry point for financial access that is practical, familiar and trusted.
Community first
At the signing of the MSA, REGIDESO’s Chief Executive Officer, David Tshilumba Mutombo, captured the purpose of this partnership clearly.
He said, “Everything we do ultimately returns to the people who rely on us every day. This partnership is for them.”
Water nourishes communities. Financial tools strengthen them.
This partnership is built on that shared belief.
Utility advantage
REGIDESO has one of the largest community networks in the entire DRC. It reaches homes and neighbourhoods that banks and fintechs often miss. This reach is what makes essential services the most powerful platform for financial inclusion.
When a family pays a water bill digitally, they are not simply completing a transaction. They are connecting, often for the first time, to the broader financial system through a service they already trust.
This creates a natural foundation for:
- digital wallets that simplify everyday payments
- remittance channels that help families support one another
- protection solutions that provide a safety net where it is most needed
- financial literacy delivered directly to communities
The result is not merely convenience. It is empowerment.
Digital benefits
When essential services modernise their payment systems, the impact is immediate and visible. Queues shorten. Cash risks decline. Families spend less time travelling to payment counters. Monthly planning becomes clearer and more predictable.
Crucially, this shift requires no behavioural change. The household already pays for water. The only change is the channel, from physical to digital, from uncertain to transparent, from time-consuming to instant.
This is why water networks are such powerful drivers of digital inclusion.
National scale
Because REGIDESO serves millions of households nationwide, improvements to its payment systems create progress at national scale. It strengthens customer trust, supports operational efficiency and builds a stable foundation for long-term development.
Trust sits at the centre of every effective financial system. When essential services are reliable, transparent and simple to engage with, trust grows naturally.
Africa’s moment
Some ask why EFGH invests so deeply in Africa. The answer is simple. Africa is where digital solutions can create the greatest real-world impact. The DRC, with its energy, scale and ambition, is one of the most important markets to demonstrate how essential services can drive financial inclusion from the ground up.
Our approach is grounded. We design technology that adapts to communities. We focus on tools that make daily life easier. And we embed financial literacy, because access without understanding does not create resilience.
Water nourishes. Knowledge empowers.
Together, they build stronger communities.
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