Powering Instant FX & Cross-Border Payments Across Africa

Liquidesk is an African FX and payments infrastructure that connects banks, fintechs, remittance companies and OTC desks to deep, real-time liquidity, across key corridors. Plug in once, access multiple rails – PAPSS, local schemes and stablecoins – without stitching 10 different partners together.

$500M+
Monthly Volume
15+
African Corridors
T+5
Settlement Speed
99.99%
Uptime SLA

Why Liquidesk

One API for Africa

Build money-movers and FX access using a single modern API. Connect to new corridors without re-integrating your stack.

Deep Liquidity

Access aggregated FX liquidity from multiple OTC desks and institutional FX, both competitive rates and deeper into order-book depth, enabling large trades.

Regulated & Compliant

Guarantee conformity with international payment & local regulatory, AML/KYC, sanctions and FATF rules. We help you with every step of your compliance journey.

Infrastructure Under the Hood

Wallet & Ledger

Build money-movers and FX access using ledger for NGN, ZAR, KES, GHS, USD and stablecoins. Track balances, settlements and fees in real-time.

FX Engine

Smart-routing engine that sources the best rates from connected liquidity providers. Supports spot FX, wholesale conversions and quoted hedging.

Payments Orchestrator

One orchestrated API for bank transfers, mobile money, PAPSS payouts and stablecoin rails. Route, settle, deliver and auto-reconcile from a single interface.

Compliance & Risk

AML/KYC, risk scores, sanctions & FATF screening, rule compliance, monitoring. Detailed logs for regulatory audits and internal workflow.

The Liquidesk Stack

A complete financial operating system connecting global capital to African markets.

CLIENT LAYER
Fintechs & Remittance Apps
Core
Smart Routing
FX Matching Engine
Treasury Mgmt
PAPSS
PAPSS
Pan-African Settlement
Local Banks
Direct Integrations
Mobile Money
Various MNOs, etc.

From FX Request to Local Settlement in Seconds

Client Sends Currency

Client initiates a payment to their bank, wallet or MNO/mobile as such type of API.

Best FX Route Selected

Liquidesk's FX engine selects the best FX price and corridors to select the best available rate and route.

Instant Local Settlement (via PAPSS & Local Rails)

Funds are delivered via PAPSS where available, or through connected local schemes and mobile money rails in the destination country.

Confirmation & Reconciliation

You receive instant confirmation, settlement references and individual receipts for post-transaction reconciliation and reporting.

api-request.json

Built for Modern African Money Movers

Remittance Providers

Run real-time corridors from fiat and crypto off-ramps, with competitive FX and aggregated liquidity.

Fintech Payment Apps

Connect to mobile money, cross-border wallets and collections from, and your app with a single API and SDK.

OTC Trading Desks

Automate your FX transfers, execute spot trading and reconcile with real-time reporting and APIs.

Corporate Treasurers

Simplify FX operations for payroll, supplier payments and regional transfers from a single interface.

Connected to Africa and the World

Africa Rails

PAPSS

Pan-African settlement in near real-time.

Local Schemes

NIPSS, NIBSS and other regional schemes.

Mobile Money

M-Pesa, Airtel and other mobile providers in Kenya, Ghana, etc.

Global Rails

FEDWIRE (SWIFT/CHIPS)

USD bank account to bank account.

SWIFT & SEPA Payments

For cross-border payments and banking APIs.

As a PAPSS member, we can help you to be fully PAPSS compliant.

Loved by Developers, Trusted by Compliance

API Documentation API Playground API Reference
GET /v1/payouts
POST /v1/fx/quotes
POST /v1/payouts
Request
Response 200 OK
{
  "quote_id": "qt_abc123xyz",
  "from_currency": "USD",
  "to_currency": "NGN",
  "amount": 1000,
  "rate": 1450.59,
  "fee": 2.50,
  "total": 1453009.00,
  "expires_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

Authentication

All API requests require authentication using API keys. Include your API key in the request header:

Authorization: Bearer sk_live_abc123xyz...

Base URL

https://api.liquidesk.com

Rate Limits

  • 100 requests per minute for standard accounts
  • 1000 requests per minute for enterprise accounts
  • Rate limit headers included in all responses

Error Codes

400 Bad Request - Invalid parameters
401 Unauthorized - Invalid API key
429 Too Many Requests - Rate limit exceeded
500 Internal Server Error

Developer-First Experience

  • REST APIs and language specific SDKs
  • Reactive webhooks for payouts, FX, settlements and chargebacks
  • Sandbox environment that mirrors production without risk
  • Clear examples, Postman collections and technical guides
  • Dedicated technical support for go-live and certification
Explore APIs

Real-Time African Currency Liquidity

Aggregate FX quotes from multiple OTC desks and institutional FX. Configure your own spread, mark-up and trading rules. Get visibility into depth, slippage and execution quality per corridor.

PAIR BID ASK
NGN/USD 1,450.59 1,451.20
NGN/GBP 1,820.00 1,821.50
NGN/EUR 1,580.30 1,581.80
NGN/CAD 1,065.40 1,066.90
KES/USD 142.29 142.85

Security & Compliance by Design

AML + KYC
Integrate identity checks for individuals and businesses.
PEP & Sanctions Screening
Continuous screening against global watchlists.
Data Encryption
Encryption to secure your data, using modern standards.
Role-Based Permissions
Fine-grained access control to data and operations.
Ledger Auditability
Immutable, cryptographically signed ledger for all transactions.
ISO 27001 Alignment
Data protection, privacy with GDPR and modern payment security.
Liquidesk is built for the strictest regulatory regulations and compliance at scale.

Roadmap for a Connected African FX Stack

Indirect PAPSS Connectivity

Providing intermediary services for non-PAPSS participants and extended rails.

Multi-Corridor Expansion

New fiat/crypto corridors, stablecoin routes and exchange schemes.

Liquidity Marketplace

Build a marketplace where OTC desks can provide and consume liquidity.

Direct PAPSS Participant

Become a direct participant to access real-time settlement and inter-bank.

Our roadmap is ambitious and we'd love to have you partner with us.

Join the Future of African FX and Cross-Border Payments