To pay Chinese suppliers from Africa, you send a bank transfer to the supplier's company account. You pay in CNY or US dollars. Before it leaves, your bank checks your country's import rules: an import document, the invoice and any advance payment limit. The supplier's bank then checks the payment matches a real trade.
General information, not legal advice. Rules checked on 18 October 2026. Confirm them with your bank before you pay.
What are the ways to pay a Chinese supplier?
Three routes are common for business orders.
| Route | Fits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Bank transfer (T/T) | Large orders and repeat suppliers | Each bank in the chain checks the payment |
| Licensed business payment provider | Funding in local currency, paying out in CNY or USD | Ask who holds the licence, and which documents it needs |
| Marketplace payment or escrow | Orders placed on a B2B marketplace | Covers only that marketplace's suppliers |
Agree who pays the bank charges before you send. Under OUR, you pay all of them. Under SHA, you pay your own bank's charges. The supplier bears the charges of the other banks.
Some small importers pay agents who take local currency and pay the supplier in yuan. Your bank and customs need documents that tie each payment to an import. An agent's receipt may not do that. For a longer list of methods, see these ways to pay Chinese suppliers.
What does your bank need before the payment leaves?
Each country sets its own rules, and your bank applies them before it sends the money. Each row is dated and was checked on 18 October 2026. The Nigeria row relies on law-firm summaries of the CBN's Manual.
| Country or zone | Before you pay | Advance payment | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria (NGN) | A Form M registered with your bank when you order | Up to 30% of FOB value, per law-firm summaries. Scope differs by firm | CBN Foreign Exchange Manual, in force 1 June 2026 (law-firm summaries) |
| Ghana (GHS) | A valid Import Declaration Form, an invoice and an undertaking | Up to US$200,000 per transaction, per importer | Bank of Ghana Notice 2024/42, in force 1 July 2024 |
| Kenya (KES) | No exchange control. Your bank keeps documents above USD 10,000 | At the bank's discretion, against your undertaking | CBK Guidelines on Foreign Exchange, 2002, not replaced |
| South Africa (ZAR) | Invoice, transport document and SARS customs declaration | Non-capital goods against an invoice. A SARS notice first from R100,000 | SARB Currency and Exchanges Manual, edition of 8 October 2026 |
| WAEMU (XOF) | Domiciliation with an authorised bank above XOF 20 million | A deposit of up to 50%, stated on the invoice or contract | BCEAO Instruction 02/07/2025/RFE, in force 1 August 2025 |
| CEMAC (XAF) | Domiciliation at one bank before any transfer, from XAF 5 million | No cap in the texts. At most 10% above the domiciled amount | BEAC Instruction 007/GR/2019, under Regulation 02/18 |
Nigeria
Every import needs a Form M, registered through an authorised dealer bank when you place the order. The CBN's Foreign Exchange Manual took effect on 1 June 2026 and replaced the 2018 edition. Law-firm summaries of the Manual report two changes that matter here. Down payments on imports can now reach 30% of FOB value, up from 15%. One firm limits this to capital goods. It also says a bank in the exporter's country must guarantee the advance. Buying foreign currency before a payment falls due is now banned. If anyone other than your company will pay the supplier, clear it with your bank first.
Ghana
Bank of Ghana Notice BG/GOV/FMD/2024/42 took effect on 1 July 2024. For an advance payment, your bank needs your instruction and a valid Import Declaration Form. It also needs a pro forma or commercial invoice, and your undertaking to submit clearing documents. The cap is US$200,000 per transaction, per importer. You then have 90 days to submit the clearing documents for general goods, or 180 days for capital goods.
Kenya
Since 27 December 1995, Kenya has had no exchange control. Your bank still has document duties. Under the CBK's Guidelines on Foreign Exchange, banks keep documents for deals above USD 10,000. The CBK also warns against splitting a payment to stay under that line. For goods already landed, the bank asks for the Import Declaration Form and the invoice. It also asks for the transport document and the customs entry. For an advance payment, it may pay if you promise the shipping documents later. You apply for the IDF through the KenTrade single window.
South Africa
The SARB's Currency and Exchanges Manual sets the rules. This guide uses the edition of 8 October 2026. Before any import payment, your bank asks you to confirm an ITAC import permit is held or not needed. After shipment, it pays against the supplier's invoice, a transport document and the SARS customs declaration. Advance payments for non-capital goods are allowed against an invoice.
From R100,000, file an Advance Payment Notification on SARS eFiling before you apply to the bank. That step comes from SARS policy SC-CC-42, revision 3, in force since 28 July 2026. You then owe the bank customs proof with the MRN within four months of payment. SARB Circular 12/2026 of 8 April 2026 set the bank's line at R100,000. For capital goods, you may pay up to 100% in advance up to R10 million. Above R10 million, the limit is 50%. Your bank reports every import payment to the SARB under a balance of payments code.
WAEMU (Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and six more countries)
Regulation 06/2024/CM/UEMOA of 20 December 2024 replaced the 2010 rules. The BCEAO's new import instructions took effect on 1 August 2025. Imports above XOF 20 million must be domiciled with an authorised bank. The old line was XOF 10 million. A deposit cannot exceed 50% of the value, and the invoice or contract must state it.
For goods not yet delivered, the bank needs three documents. They are the supplier's invoice or contract, the import declaration and a signed exchange form. Without a letter of credit, add the bill of lading or air waybill. Payments up to XOF 1 million need no supporting documents, though anti-money laundering checks still apply. The bank must execute or reject your transfer within five working days. A rejection must name the missing documents. The BCEAO publishes these instructions in French.
CEMAC (Cameroon, Gabon and four more countries)
Regulation 02/18/CEMAC/UMAC/CM has applied since 1 March 2019. BEAC Instruction 007/GR/2019 sets the import steps. Imports of XAF 5 million or more, at FOB value, are domiciled with one bank. Domiciliation comes before any transfer, and only that bank can pay. The file holds the pro forma invoice, the contract if any, the import declaration and your tax ID. You may pay up to 10% above the domiciled amount. Above that, you need a new declaration for the excess.
You then have three months from payment to close the file. Give the bank the customs declaration, duty receipt, transport document and final invoice. A BEAC circular of 8 April 2021 adds a sanction. If earlier BEAC-funded transfers stay open, the BEAC rejects new transfer files for your company.
What does the Chinese supplier's bank check?
China's foreign exchange regulator, SAFE, says the exporter on the deal collects the payment. Its 2020 trade guidelines are still in force, as amended up to 2024. The supplier's bank must confirm what each incoming payment is for. It may review the contract, invoice, customs declaration and transport documents. Since 1 June 2024, exporters register for trade foreign exchange at their bank.
Contract and invoice numbers are part of the supplier's own payment reporting. That is why suppliers ask you to put them in the payment reference.
Should you pay in CNY, CNH or USD?
Ask the supplier which currency its account takes, and get it in writing.
- CNY is the code on every yuan payment. A yuan payment to a mainland account needs the supplier bank's 12-digit CNAPS number. It also needs a purpose code, such as goods trade. Without a purpose code, banks delay or reject the payment.
- CNH is a market label for yuan traded offshore, not a currency code. You may see it on a quote or an account, but the payment still travels as CNY.
- USD works too. Chinese exporters may receive US dollars and keep them or convert them into yuan. That is why a supplier can quote a mainland USD account.
Why do payments to China get held or returned?
- Name mismatch. The name on your payment does not fully match the account name. Ask for the exact name the supplier's bank holds.
- Missing codes. A yuan payment without a CNAPS number or a purpose code.
- Documents. The supplier's bank asks the supplier for the contract and invoice behind the payment.
- Unknown payer. The payer is not the buyer on the contract. The bank may ask the supplier to explain the payment.
- Wrong details. The supplier never receives the money, and it comes back to you.
When a payment is held, the bank's record of the transfer is the MT103. See how to read an MT103.
How do you check a Chinese supplier before you pay?
- Ask for its 18-character Unified Social Credit Code. Every Chinese company has one.
- Look the company up in the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, China's official company register.
- Pay only a company account in the same name as the company on your contract.
- If the supplier sends new bank details, confirm them by phone on a number you already hold.
- On a first order, pay a deposit, then the balance against shipping documents.
What should you check before you send?
- Your country's rule and threshold, in the table above.
- The import document first: Form M, IDF or domiciliation.
- A pro forma invoice with the supplier's legal name and bank details.
- The currency: CNY to a mainland account, or USD.
- For CNY, the CNAPS number and the purpose code.
- The invoice and contract numbers in the payment reference.
- The MT103, kept with the import file.
- Customs proof sent to your bank on time, so the file closes.
- Who pays the bank charges: OUR or SHA.
FAQ
Do I need a Form M to pay a Chinese supplier from Nigeria?
Yes. Nigerian importers register a Form M with their bank when they place the order. That applies whether or not they buy the foreign currency through the bank.
Can I pay a Chinese supplier in US dollars?
Yes. Chinese rules let exporters receive US dollars and keep them or convert them into yuan. Ask the supplier for its US dollar account details in writing.
What is the difference between CNY and CNH?
CNY is the currency code on every yuan payment. CNH is a market label for yuan traded offshore, not a currency code. A payment into a mainland account uses CNY.
How much can I pay a Chinese supplier in advance?
50% of the value in the WAEMU zone, and up to US$200,000 per transaction in Ghana. Other countries set other rules. Check your country in the table above.
Does the supplier's bank check what the payment is for?
Yes. The supplier's bank must confirm what each incoming payment is for. A payer who is not on the contract can make that harder. Agree the payer with the supplier first.
Can a yuan payment to China be rejected?
Yes. Common causes are a name that does not match the account, or a missing CNAPS number or purpose code. Wrong details usually send the money back to you.
For platforms that pay suppliers for their clients
Some trade platforms pay Chinese suppliers for importers in Africa. Each payment then has a payer, a client and a supplier, and every bank asks who is who. See what POBO means, and how payments on behalf of your clients work with Nilos. For currency conversion, see our FX page. Nilos reaches 180+ countries via SWIFT. Talk to our team about paying suppliers abroad for your clients.