Casablanca-listed HPS operates in 95 countries and posted 2024 revenue of $140 million, up 6.4%.

In 2024, the company concluded 1.1 billion dirhams in total contract value, up 386%.

Nearly half of HPS's revenue comes from Africa, followed by Europe and the Middle East. HPS expanded to Australia last year and to Canada in 2023.

HPS seeks to build on its existing investments before expanding to Latin America, Alaoui Smaili said.

The firm, which runs the national payment switch in Morocco, sees moves by African central banks to legalize digital currencies, known as central bank digital currencies, as "an opportunity to increase digital payments and reduce the circulation of cash," he said.

For HPS systems, a Central Bank Digital Currency will be "an additional currency to add in a transaction, or an additional volume to manage," he said.

--Reuters--