Kenya vs Russia · Real-time payment systems compared
| Capability | M-Pesa | SBP |
|---|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wallet Support | ✓ | — |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | ◐ | ◐ |
| ISO 20022 | — | ✓ |
| Request to Pay | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open API | ✓ | ◐ |
| Alias/Proxy | ✓ | ✓ |
Africa's pioneering mobile money platform that revolutionised financial services by enabling P2P transfers, bill payments, merchant payments, savings, and loans via basic SMS or smartphone app — no bank account required. Launched by Safaricom in Kenya in 2007, M-Pesa now serves 60M+ active users across Kenya, Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, and other African markets. It processes more transactions than many traditional banking systems and has become a textbook case study in financial inclusion, reaching unbanked populations through mobile-first design and agent networks. Note: Data follows Safaricom's fiscal year ending March (e.g. "2025" = April 2024 – March 2025).
Russia's System of Fast Payments (Sistema Bystrykh Platezhey, SBP) is the national instant-payments scheme launched by the Bank of Russia and NSPK in January 2019. It enables 24/7 real-time interbank credit transfers addressed by mobile phone number, plus QR-code payments to merchants (C2B), payouts from businesses to individuals (B2C), and cross-border transfers to CIS and friendly countries. The Bank of Russia acts as operator and settlement centre; NSPK provides operational and clearing infrastructure. Systemically important banks are mandated to participate; consumer transfers up to RUB 100,000/month are fee-free. Data transparency has decreased somewhat since 2022; the CBR continues to publish quarterly aggregate SBP statistics.