Catalyse
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Driving Real Change Through Blockchain Innovation
“The power of a bold idea uttered publicly in defiance of dominant opinion cannot be easily measured. Those special people who speak out in such a way as to shake up not only the self-assurance of their enemies, but the complacency of their friends, are precious catalysts for change.”
— Howard Zinn, You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train
At SANBA, we believe that blockchain has the potential to be more than just a technical innovation — it can be a social and economic catalyst. Our mission is to challenge outdated systems and accelerate the responsible use of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) across South Africa.
While blockchain adoption has largely been driven by the fintech sector and cryptocurrencies, SANBA aims to broaden the focus. We support and amplify proof-of-concept projects that demonstrate real value in public and private sectors — from transparent recordkeeping to secure data sharing and supply chain accountability.
Our goal is to take blockchain beyond the buzzwords and bring real, practical implementation to life.
What We Catalyse
SANBA serves as a launchpad for blockchain concepts that show potential for national impact. We work to:
- Support early-stage blockchain pilots that go beyond cryptocurrency
- Recognise and promote pioneering South African projects
- Connect innovators with partners and opportunities for scaling
- Demonstrate blockchain’s value in solving local challenges
- Encourage cross-sector collaboration in blockchain-driven innovation
Highlighted Projects
We actively recognise standout blockchain projects in South Africa that showcase the power and versatility of distributed technologies.
Project Khokha
Developed by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) in collaboration with seven major banks, Project Khokha proved the viability of a blockchain-based interbank system. Built using Quorum (an enterprise version of Ethereum), the system processed South Africa’s typical daily volume of transactions with full confidentiality, settlement finality, and record-breaking efficiency.
This project is a clear example of how enterprise-grade blockchain solutions can enhance national financial infrastructure.
Recognising Excellence
SANBA will continue to feature groundbreaking blockchain initiatives that set new standards for innovation, transparency, and trust. If you’re working on a project that’s reshaping how South Africa transacts, shares, and secures information, we want to hear from you.
Let’s move from pilot to progress — together.
Project Khokha: Transforming Interbank Settlement
Developed by SARB in partnership with seven major commercial banks and supported by Adhara and ConsenSys Solutions, Project Khokha explored a permissioned blockchain network built on Quorum, an enterprise-grade Ethereum implementation.
Its goal was to simulate South Africa’s daily interbank settlement volumes with full confidentiality, speed, and fault tolerance — without relying on a central point of failure.
Key challenges addressed
- Testing real-time gross settlement under realistic banking conditions
- Enhancing resilience of interbank payment systems
- Reducing operational costs without compromising security
- Ensuring transaction confidentiality in a distributed network
Blockchain-powered results
By implementing Istanbul Byzantine Fault Tolerance (IBFT), Pedersen commitments, and range proofs, the project delivered:
- Over 70,000 transactions settled in under two hours
- 99% of blocks propagated in under two seconds
- Full confidentiality and finality of transactions
- No single point of failure across the banking network
This was the first real-world use of these technologies combined with Quorum in a central banking context — establishing a new benchmark for blockchain in finance.
Recognised globally
Project Khokha was named “Best Distributed Ledger Initiative” of 2018 by Central Banking Publications for its innovation and real-world performance.
“Our goal with Project Khokha is to contribute to global initiatives assessing distributed ledger technology through a collaborative effort between SARB and South Africa’s banking community.”
— Francois Groepe, Former Deputy Governor, SARB
Explore the case study
A comprehensive report outlines the goals, architecture, and lessons learned from Project Khokha. It serves as a reference for how blockchain can be used to simulate and support secure financial infrastructure at scale.
Shaping the future of finance
SANBA continues to spotlight blockchain use cases that deliver real value across industries. From digital finance to public infrastructure, our focus is on building trusted, scalable, and decentralised solutions throughout South Africa and the continent.
Ready to build or pilot your blockchain solution?
Connect with SANBA’s blockchain experts
We work with startups, enterprises, and public institutions to turn high-potential ideas into production-ready applications.