Kenya · Mobile Money · Est. 2007
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).
M-Pesa is Kenya’s real-time payment system (Mobile Money), launched in 2007. Africas 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.
M-Pesa processed 37.1 billion transactions worth $294.8bn in 2025, a year-on-year change of +31.1%.
M-Pesa is operated by Safaricom, with instant settlement.
M-Pesa launched in 2007, and today has 15 participating institutions.
M-Pesa supports QR code payments, digital wallets, proxy/alias lookup, request-to-pay.
Data source: Safaricom.
| Capability | Status |
|---|---|
| QR Code Payments | ✓ |
| Wallet Support | ✓ |
| 24/7 Availability | ✓ |
| Cross-Border | ◐ |
| ISO 20022 | — |
| Request to Pay | ✓ |
| Open API | ✓ |
| Alias/Proxy | ✓ |