South Africa’s central bank said it does not plan to fast‑track a retail central bank digital currency. It assessed demand as low and set payment system modernisation as its main task. Cointelegraph reported that the stance reflects doubts about whether a CBDC could address the fact that 16 percent of South African adults remain outside the financial system. The bank will focus on wholesale CBDC and cross‑border payment research. A report said successful CBDC adoption requires offline capability, broad usability, low cost, ease of use and privacy.

Procure AI secured 13 million dollars in seed funding, SiliconANGLE reported. The company developed a platform that automates corporate procurement using AI agents to improve efficiency and reduce costs. It uses data and more than 50 agents to automate procurement tasks. Independent agents perform tasks directly, while collaborative agents support human decision-making. The company says its agents shorten procurement time and lower per-item costs.