Kenya’s telecommunications giant Safaricom has struck a strategic partnership with PayPal that will allow millions of M-PESA users to send and receive money through the global payment platform’s network spanning over 200 countries.
The collaboration, announced Tuesday, enables seamless fund transfers between PayPal accounts and M-PESA wallets for more than 35 million M-PESA customers and 2 million businesses across Kenya. Users can now move money in both directions between the two platforms, significantly expanding their access to international digital commerce.
The service launches initially in Kenya through Safaricom’s M-PESA platform, with plans to extend the offering to other M-PESA markets across Africa in the coming months. This marks a significant step in connecting Africa’s most successful mobile money platform with one of the world’s largest digital payment networks.
“This collaboration empowers over thirty-five million customers and two million businesses and micro-entrepreneurs across Kenya to participate in the global digital economy,” said Esther Waititu, Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom. The partnership allows Kenyan users to send and receive payments across PayPal’s extensive international network.
Otto Williams, PayPal’s Regional Head for the Middle East and Africa, emphasized the importance of linking global and local financial systems. He noted that the partnership would help millions of M-PESA customers connect more easily to PayPal’s international customer base, particularly benefiting Kenya’s growing gig economy where many professionals work remotely for global clients.
The timing aligns with Africa’s expanding participation in the global digital economy, where online freelancing and remote work opportunities have surged. The integration addresses a long-standing challenge for Kenyan entrepreneurs and freelancers who previously faced barriers accessing international payment platforms.
M-PESA, launched 18 years ago, has become a cornerstone of Kenya’s digital financial infrastructure. The platform revolutionized mobile banking by eliminating fees for small transactions under 100 Kenyan shillings in 2016, making digital payments accessible to lower-income populations. Today, M-PESA processes over $1.1 billion in daily transactions across its African network of more than 50 million users.
PayPal brings its global reach of 400 million active accounts across 200 markets to the partnership, creating new opportunities for cross-border commerce and remittances between Kenya and international markets.
