By By Our Reporter
Safaricom has teamed up with global payments leader PayPal in a landmark deal set to connect Africa’s most successful mobile money platform to the world of online commerce. The partnership will allow over 35 million M-PESA customers and two million Kenyan businesses—from street vendors and freelancers to tech start-ups—to send and receive money across PayPal’s network in more than 200 global markets.
For years, African entrepreneurs and individuals have faced a frustrating barrier: the inability to move seamlessly between mobile money and international payment systems. Now, by linking their M-PESA and PayPal wallets, users can make instant transfers between the two platforms. What was once a long-standing challenge for Africa’s digitally active but financially excluded population is being dismantled, one transaction at a time.
“This partnership is a bold step forward in enabling seamless, safe, and inclusive digital payments,” said Esther Waititu, Safaricom’s Chief Financial Services Officer. “It empowers millions of customers and micro-entrepreneurs to fully participate in the global economy by conveniently sending and receiving payments across more than 200 markets. It’s part of our commitment to transforming lives through the power of M-PESA.”
Safaricom’s push into global financial inclusion comes on the back of strong performance. The company’s revenue hit Sh388.7 billion this year, boosted by diversification into new digital services. Initiatives like M-PESA Kadogo—which scrapped fees for transactions of Sh100 and below in 2016—and Ziidi MMF, which lets users invest from as little as Sh100, have steadily expanded financial access. The PayPal partnership is the latest in this journey, offering Kenyans and Africans at large a gateway to international trade and opportunities.
PayPal executives share the same vision. “Building seamless connections between the global economy and local financial ecosystems is crucial to expanding digital inclusion,” said Otto Williams, Regional Head and General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at PayPal. “We are thrilled to enable millions of M-PESA customers across Africa to connect more easily with PayPal’s international customer base.”
The scale of the opportunity is enormous. M-PESA already processes more than Sh142.12 billion ($1.1 billion) daily, serving 50 million users across Africa. PayPal, with its 400 million users worldwide, remains a cornerstone of global e-commerce. Together, the two giants are building a financial bridge that could accelerate Africa’s participation in the digital revolution—connecting a Nairobi artisan selling handmade jewelry, a Kisumu software developer, or a Nakuru farmer to customers and investors around the globe.
Beyond convenience, the partnership also signals a growing shift toward interoperability in Africa’s fintech landscape. With the rise of digital wallets, mobile banks, and online platforms, the future lies in systems that talk to each other. Consumers and businesses, long constrained by fragmented networks, now stand to benefit from a new era of integration and access.
By linking Africa’s most popular mobile wallet with one of the world’s largest online payment platforms, Safaricom and PayPal are not just creating a new service—they are reshaping what financial inclusion looks like on a global scale.
