The rapid expansion of digital financial services in Africa has intensified the need for effective Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer compliance within payment gateway infrastructures. This paper proposes a risk-sensitive compliance architecture designed to integrate AML and KYC functions seamlessly into African payment systems. The architecture emphasizes dynamic risk assessment, real-time transaction monitoring, and flexible customer verification modules to address the unique technological, regulatory, and operational challenges prevalent across the continent. By embedding risk sensitivity throughout the compliance process, the framework enhances the detection and prevention of financial crimes while balancing regulatory rigor with operational efficiency. It also accommodates the heterogeneity of African markets through modularity and scalable integration strategies, allowing adaptation to varying infrastructure and regulatory environments. The paper contributes theoretically by bridging risk-based compliance models with practical payment gateway implementations, and it provides a foundation for further empirical validation and policy development. Ultimately, this architecture supports the dual goals of financial integrity and inclusion, fostering resilient and trustworthy digital payment ecosystems in Africa.
Uzoka et al. (Wed,) studied this question.