Airtel Money Africa, the mobile money division of Airtel Africa, has announced an extension of its partnership with pawaPay, Africa’s largest mobile money payment service provider (PSP), to facilitate cross-border payments for authorised International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) in seven important Airtel Africa markets.
This partnership formally introduces pawaPay’s inbound remittance service into Tanzania, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Using Pawapay’s well-known dependability, scalability, and 99.9 per cent platform uptime, the partnership enables IMTOs to effectively transfer funds worldwide to recipients’ Airtel Money wallets, reaching over 161 million recipients.
Airtel Money to leverage pawaPay’s strong PSP infrastructure
Using pawaPay’s strong PSP infrastructure, which handles more than four million transactions daily, this expansion fortifies and streamlines Airtel Money Africa’s backend operations, building on five years of dependable cooperation in domestic mobile money.
“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with pawaPay to advance international remittances across Africa. Their proven reliability and commitment to African consumers make them an ideal partner,” said Ian Ferrao, CEO, Airtel Money Africa.
“This integration empowers International Money Transfer Operators to securely connect with Airtel Money’s growing footprint, delivering real-time payments that support financial inclusion and economic growth.”
“Our mission is to simplify payments for businesses in Africa, and remittances are pivotal,” said Nikolai Barnwell, CEO, pawaPay.
“Deepening our relationship with Airtel Money allows International Money Transfer Operators to leverage our world-class infrastructure for seamless cross-border payments.”
Advantages of cross-border payments in Africa
For millions of Africans, remittances continue to be essential because they facilitate financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and family support. The advancement of Africa’s digital economy depends on this partnership’s ability to guarantee safe, quick mobile wallet transactions.
PawaPay will expand this feature to more Airtel Money Africa markets in the upcoming months.
Airtel Money, Sanlam, SchoolPay partner to help parents save for school fees in Uganda
In a revolutionary step for parents throughout Uganda, Airtel Money has joined forces with Sanlam Investments and School Pay to introduce SchoolPay Savings, a digital savings product that aims to make school fees more manageable and affordable.
Offering flexibility and peace of mind, the product, which was introduced with the theme “Empowering Education Through Smart Savings,” enables parents to save as little as UGX 5,000, earn 8 per cent annual interest, and withdraw money without incurring fees.
“This product is an investment in our children’s future,” said Japhet ARITHO, MD, Airtel Money. “It removes the burden of last-minute school fees and rewards parents with 8 per cent annual returns—without any withdrawal charges.”
Osbert Muganga, GM of SchoolPay, explained, “Our data shows that parents often pay school fees in three cycles. This solution helps them save in small, manageable amounts—bringing peace of mind.
Denis Kizito, Director of Market Supervision at the Capital Markets Authority, added, “This product provides a reliable and structured way for parents to save consistently for education.’
Justine Namata, head of financial literacy at the Bank of Uganda, highlighted the necessity of financial education. She stated, “About 29% of women use mobile money to save and pay fees.”
“This product helps bridge the knowledge and access gap.”
How to Save with SchoolPay Savings:
- Dial *185#
- Select School Fees
- Choose SchoolPay
- Select School Fees Payment
- Choose Deposit
- Enter your Student Code
- Confirm details, enter the amount and PIN to complete.