The core switch in Morocco is

Switch Al Maghrib (SWAM) is Morocco's national core switch for electronic payments. Switch Al Maghrib, abbreviated as SWAM, is the central electronic payment switch in Morocco, responsible for routing, processing, and clearing transactions across banks and payment providers in the country. Originally launched in 2016 under the name HPS Switch, it has been rebranded to SWAM to reflect its formal integration into Morocco's Financial Market Infrastructure (FMI) under the supervision of Bank Al-Maghrib, the central bank.

Role and FunctionsSWAM serves as a system of economic importance, handling millions of daily transactions and ensuring interoperability between card and mobile payment systems. Its core functions include: Authorization routing for domestic card transactionsClearing and settlement of electronic payments between issuers and acquirersFraud detection and prevention, including integration with Visa Advanced Authorization for real-time risk scoring Technical ArchitectureTo ensure high availability and resilience, SWAM operates on an Active-Active infrastructure, distributing traffic between two data centers. This setup allows instant failover in case of technical failure, supporting continuous operation and robust digital payment services.

Regulatory and Strategic Importance

As an officially recognized Financial Market Infrastructure, SWAM complies with Moroccan laws on data protection (Law 09-08), cybersecurity (Law 05-20), and national directives on information system security. Its status underscores its central role in Morocco's financial ecosystem, balancing technological innovation with regulatory oversight, and supporting the country's digital economy and financial inclusion initiatives. In summary, Switch Al Maghrib (SWAM) is the backbone of Morocco's electronic payment system, providing secure, reliable, and interoperable infrastructure for the nation's banking and digital payment networks.