Caliza and Yala have partnered to integrate stablecoin-powered settlement into African trade operations, giving manufacturers and distributors a new way to pay international suppliers while managing cross-border transactions through a more connected payment infrastructure.
The partnership combines Caliza’s cross-border payments and treasury infrastructure with Yala’s Trade Desk platform, which helps businesses collect local currency payments and manage distributor networks across African markets.
Through the integration, businesses using Yala can access dedicated US dollar virtual accounts, monitor transactions through a dashboard and settle payments with suppliers in international markets, including China, the United States, India, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and France.
The arrangement uses stablecoins as part of the underlying settlement process, with Caliza managing conversion between digital assets and fiat currencies. The integration is designed to reduce the operational complexity associated with managing multiple payment providers and intermediaries across international trade corridors.
Connecting local collections to international payments
Yala provides manufacturers, distributors and service businesses with tools to manage local currency collections and distributor relationships as they expand across Africa.
However, businesses operating across multiple markets also need reliable ways to pay international suppliers, manage foreign currency requirements and coordinate settlements across different banking systems.
The partnership brings Caliza’s payment infrastructure into Yala’s platform to address that need.
Caliza provides dedicated USD virtual accounts and transaction monitoring tools, while its stablecoin infrastructure supports the movement and conversion of funds between digital asset networks and traditional currencies.
This allows Yala to extend its services beyond local collections and distributor management into international supplier settlement, without having to develop separate payment integrations for every new corridor.
Stablecoins take a role in trade settlement
The integration highlights how stablecoins are being applied to business payments beyond cryptocurrency trading and investment.
In the Caliza and Yala arrangement, stablecoins form part of the settlement infrastructure connecting businesses to suppliers in international markets. Caliza manages the conversion between stablecoins and fiat currencies to support payments to suppliers.
This model is particularly relevant to businesses that need access to dollar liquidity but operate in markets where foreign exchange availability, conversion processes and international settlement can create operational challenges.
“African businesses move global trade every day, but they still face barriers to accessing the dollar. Our partnership with Yala shows what happens when that barrier falls. A payment that used to pass through several intermediaries is now funded in stablecoin and settled with the supplier in a single flow,” said Ezra Kebrab, CEO of Caliza.
The partnership is also designed to automate ledger processes, giving Yala greater visibility into payment flows and reducing the need to coordinate transactions across multiple intermediaries.
Supporting businesses expanding across borders
The partnership targets a broad segment of African commerce, particularly manufacturers and distributors that need to manage payments across different countries.
Africa’s merchandise trade reached $1.5 trillion in 2024, representing a 14% increase, according to figures cited in the supplied material. Small and medium-sized enterprises also account for a substantial share of the continent’s business activity, creating demand for payment infrastructure that can support companies operating beyond their domestic markets.
For businesses expanding into new countries, managing distributor networks and collecting local currency payments are only part of the operational challenge. Paying suppliers internationally can introduce additional requirements around foreign exchange, banking relationships and settlement timelines.
Yala’s platform is designed to help businesses manage market entry and distributor operations, while Caliza adds the infrastructure needed to move funds across international payment corridors.
By combining the two platforms, the companies aim to make international supplier payments a more integrated part of the trade process.
Caliza expands its role in African payment corridors
For Caliza, the partnership extends its cross-border payments and treasury infrastructure into Yala’s network of businesses operating across African markets.
The US-based fintech focuses on connecting traditional banking systems with digital asset settlement infrastructure, particularly for businesses that require access to dollar-denominated accounts and international payment networks.
Integrating with Yala gives Caliza another channel to support businesses involved in African trade, while enabling Yala to access international payment infrastructure without building and maintaining separate connections for each market.
The partnership also reflects a growing focus among fintech providers on developing infrastructure that connects local payment systems with international financial networks.
Building a more connected trade infrastructure
The Caliza and Yala partnership is centred on connecting different parts of the cross-border trade process, from local currency collection and distributor management to international supplier settlement.
By integrating stablecoin settlement into Yala’s Trade Desk, the companies are seeking to reduce the fragmentation businesses face when managing payments across multiple markets.
The effectiveness of the model will depend on factors such as corridor availability, conversion costs, settlement reliability and the ability to support businesses operating under different regulatory requirements.
However, the integration represents a move towards combining trade management platforms with cross-border payment infrastructure, as fintech companies seek to address the financial and operational challenges associated with expanding African commerce internationally.
