This marks the second time in under two years that M-PESA and Visa have collaborated to expand global payments for their customers.
M-PESA, the ubiquitous mobile money platform used by 32.1 million Kenyans and over 60 million customers across eight African markets, is taking a pivotal step into payments. In a partnership with Visa, the global digital payments giant, M-PESA will debut tap-to-pay capabilities, marking a bold expansion beyond its virtual GlobalPay offering and setting its sights on the cash-reliant retail sector.
“SafaricomPLC has achieved PCI DSS compliance, which builds on our strategic partnership with Visa, expanding M-PESA’s payment capabilities to include card issuing and acquisition,” M-PESA Africa said in a statement on X.
Per Safaricom, this will be a tap-to-go solution for customers that will enable merchants to receive payments. Visitors with cards can pay through M-PESA and also extend card solutions to other fintechs.
M-PESA deepens partnership with Visa
Visa, meanwhile, gains a powerful partner in its quest to expand its footprint in Africa. M-PESA’s vast user base and deep integration into Kenyan life offer a unique platform for Visa to tap into the continent’s rapidly evolving digital payments landscape.
Customers can use the tap-to-pay product across the eight countries in which M-PESA operates. “FintTechs and financial institutions are equally set to leverage our card processing capabilities, empowering them to provide end-to-end mobile and card payment solutions,” M-PESA added in a statement on X.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that M-PESA would begin issuing physical cards after a partnership with Visa. M-PESA has now clarified that the partnership does not involve any physical cards. The article has now been updated.
