DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, November 27/APO Group: Vodacom Tanzania, considered as the country’s leading telco company, is revolutionizing cross-border trade and digital financial inclusion with the launch of M-Pesa Global Payment across the globe.
In partnership with VISA, Alipay, Network International, Magnati, and MTN Uganda, customers can now make global Tap & Pay transactions using the M-Pesa Visa tokenized card, pay merchants in China via Alipay, enabled by Thunes, transact in Dubai through TerraPay-supported merchants, and pay merchants in Uganda directly into MTN MoMo wallets, powered by Thunes, all facilitated from the M-Pesa menu or the M-Pesa Super App
The process is secure, user-friendly, and eliminates the burden of traditional banking barriers for traders and businesses. Combined together, these solutions help position M-Pesa as one of the most advanced digital payment systems in Africa.
These innovations respond to the growing demand from Tanzanian customers and travelers who frequently transact across East Africa, the Middle East, Asia and globally, but often face challenges in the form of costly, slow, or insecure payment processes.
“Our partnerships with VISA, Alipay, Network Internal, and MTN Uganda demonstrate our commitment to building a strong and interconnected digital payments ecosystem. Together, we are enabling people and businesses to transact across borders with the same ease as they transact locally, securely, instantly, and affordably. This is central to M-Pesa’s Purpose, deepening financial inclusion and ensuring that digital innovation benefits every micro, small, and medium enterprise. Through this combined effort, we are opening new trade corridors, reducing the cost of doing business, and giving customers greater freedom to participate in the global digital economy,” commented M-Pesa Director at Vodacom Tanzania, Epimack Mbeteni.
This launch introduces the new M-Pesa Tap & Pay Solution with Visa, the first of its kind in Africa, enabling customers to make payments globally using their phones through the M-Pesa Visa card. Speaking on the M-Pesa Tap & Pay innovation,Visa Country manager for Tanzania Victor Makere said: “Through our collaboration, we are enabling millions of M-Pesa customers to experience secure, seamless, contactless payments anywhere Visa is accepted. Tokenization brings an added layer of safety and convenience, allowing customers to Tap & Pay globally using their mobile phones without exposing their card details. This innovation supports Tanzania’s transition toward a fully digital payments ecosystem and empowers consumers and businesses with more modern ways to pay.”
Through Thunes’ Direct Global Network, M-Pesa customers can now pay merchants in China within the Alipay ecosystem, supporting fast, secure international trade. Speaking on the role of Thunes in enabling payments to China, Chief Revenue Officer at Thunes, Andrew Stewart, added: “Digitizing cross-border payments is a game-changer for accessibility, and supports our mission to enable the next billion end users to take part in the global economy. Together with Vodacom, we are making it possible for Tanzanian businesses to pay Chinese merchants instantly through the Alipay network. This new level of interoperability and innovation strengthens trust in mobile financial ecosystems and opens new avenues for international trade.”
