From Sandbox to Full License: The Exit Process

Before you exit: no automatic licence

Entering the NamPost Innovation Sandbox does not grant a production banking or payment-service licence. Testing on NamPost’s mirrored regulatory footprint is not the same as holding NamPost’s authorisations.

Successful exit produces an evidence pack regulators can use — it does not replace BoN or NAMFISA licensing decisions (NAMPOST_SANDBOX constraint X-04).

Exit outcomes

At end of test cycle, participants move to one of three outcomes:

1. Full licensing pathway — apply for production authorisation with sandbox evidence
2. Time-bound extension — revised KPIs and conditions (max 18 months supervised)
3. Managed wind-down — orderly closure with customer communication plan

Production pathway decision tree

flowchart TD
  start[SandboxExit_EvidencePackReady]
  start --> q1{Will you operate payments or money movement in production?}
  q1 -->|No| wind[Managed_WindDown]
  q1 -->|Yes| q2{Own legal entity holding customer funds or initiating payments?}
  q2 -->|Yes| psd1[Own_PSD1_Licence_BoN]
  q2 -->|No| q3{Distribute via NamPost or licensed PSP network only?}
  q3 -->|Yes| agent[Agent_Under_Licensed_PSP]
  q3 -->|No| q4{Need supervised market test before full licence?}
  q4 -->|Yes| fintech[BoN_FinTech_Programme_Temporary]
  q4 -->|No| vendor[NamPost_ProductOwner_Fintech_Vendor]
  start --> nb{NBFI track: lending or insurance?}
  nb -->|Yes| namfisa[NAMFISA_NBFI_Licence]

Live list: GET /api/v1/licensing/pathways · Portal picker at /dashboard/exit-survey.

PSD-1 application flow (BoN)

Summary from PSD-1 §8 (full text in repo regulatory extracts):

1. Letter of intent — scope, licence category, timeline
2. Formal application — business plan, capital proof, fit & proper, governance
3. Initial review — completeness and fee
4. Provisional approval — conditional, subject to inspection
5. On-site inspection — controls, IT, AML
6. Licence grant — ongoing reporting and PSD-12 compliance

Attach your sandbox exit pack (INT evidence, Observation Deck exports, final progress report) as decision support — not as a substitute for PSD-1 requirements.

Agent model (without own PSP licence)

If you distribute payments or collect cash through NamPost branches or a licensed PSP:

• Appointment under PSD-1 §17 with 60-day BoN notice
• Agent agreement with the licensed PSP (not a sandbox MOU alone)
• AML/CFT and consumer protection remain non-waivable in sandbox

BoN FinTech programme vs standing PSD-1

FinTech programme contact: fintechinnovations@bon.com.na

Production readiness: PSD-12 highlights

Before go-live on any payment path:

• 2FA on every payment initiation (not login-only MFA)
• ≥99.9% availability target for critical systems
• RTO ≤2 hours, RPO ≤5 minutes for critical workloads
• Incident preliminary notice ≤24 hours to BoN where applicable

Exit evaluation inputs

• Final progress report quality
• KPI achievement vs testing agreement
• Consumer impact evidence
• Risk and incident handling performance
• Compliance with safeguards and reporting obligations
• Selected production pathway (production_pathway_code in exit survey)

Final reporting checklist

• Testing agreement obligations fully evidenced
• Compliance and audit records complete
• Governance and risk controls documented
• Production transition plan attached
• Pathway selection recorded in portal exit survey
• Exit pack PDF downloaded from Reports

Licensing document checklist (PSD-1 track)

Align with BON_LICENSING_APPLICATION_DRAFT_AGENT.md in repo mba-agent/:

• Business plan (5-year horizon)
• Audited financials (where applicable)
• Capital adequacy proof
• Directors’ fitness & probity
• AML/CFT policy
• Risk management framework
• IT security and business continuity plans
• Sample customer agreements
• Sandbox exit pack + INT conformance summary

Extension and wind-down

Extension: revised KPI targets, risk treatment updates, clear duration and success criteria.

Wind-down: customer communication plan, obligation closure, final closure evidence to NamPost programme office.

Further reading

• REGULATORY_CONTEXT.md — production pathways table
• NAMPOST_SANDBOX.md §3.1.4–§3.1.5 — licence map and two-stage model
• Application guidelines §12 — operator PDF source

Contacts: sandbox@nampost.com.na · BoN PSP: oversight.policydivision@bon.com.na · BoN FinTech: fintechinnovations@bon.com.na