Today, March 7, 2025, marks the 18th anniversary of the inception of Safaricom’s mobile money service, M-PESA, in March 2007.
Currently, M-PESA serves more than 70 million clients in more than 170 countries worldwide. In Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Ghana, and Egypt, the mobile financial services company already has over a million businesses and agents.
Additionally, the service’s Daraja platform, which is home to over 100,000 developers, enables over 55,000 connectors.
The platform is Africa’s largest financial solution, processing around 100 million transactions daily with its current 4000 transaction per second capacity.
Millions of people are able to conduct quick, safe, and dependable financial transactions with their mobile phones thanks to this mobile money transfer and payment solution’s accessibility and universality.
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M-PESA’s initiatives
In celebration of its 18th anniversary, M-PESA has launched a number of nationwide initiatives to involve the ecosystem’s stakeholders, including consumers, investors, communities, technology partners, staff members, authorities, and the media.
The ad will also be used as a means of assuring M-PESA users of Safaricom’s dedication to offering them a worry-free, secure, and safe financial ecosystem.
“In the last 18 years, M-PESA has transformed the lives of millions of customers, empowering them with useful and affordable financial services. With increasing smartphone usage across the continent, we are transitioning to be a digital financial services provider connecting customers and businesses to opportunities and powering their growth through our tech-powered solutions,” said Dr. Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom PLC.
M-PESA has established itself as a digital financial services provider as more people throughout the continent switch to smartphones, 3G, and 4G broadband.
M-PESA’s Super App
With a business proposition called the M-PESA Business software, M-PESA Africa introduced the M-PESA Super App in 2021.
This software allows any company on the service to operate a virtual shopfront and offer their services via M-PESA Mini apps.
With the quadrupling of M-PESA’s services over the last 20 years, financial inclusion has fuelled the growth of the national economy.
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M-PESA’s Ziidi Money Market
With the goal of increasing clients’ wealth, Safaricom introduced the Ziidi Investment platform with Ziidi Money Market Fund as part of the 18th anniversary celebrations. The fund currently has over a million opt-ins and is about to offer Shariah-compliant investments.
Utilising the ease of M-PESA, Ziidi offers users a quick, easy, and more intelligent way to invest and increase their wealth. Esther Waititu, Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom, stated that the business is expanding the M-PESA platform to accommodate more digital services, expedite the creation of new products, and attain more stability and dependability.
“M-PESA’s future success will be based on its ease of use and its seamless integration with other services and products to give customers a comprehensive suite of financial services at their fingertips. M-PESA represents the future of mobile financial services across the continent,” said Esther Waititu, Chief Financial Services Officer, Safaricom
M-PESA anticipates commemorating many more anniversaries with its employees and clients in the years to come as it keeps coming out with new and innovative goods and services.