Vodacom Tanzania has rolled out a major expansion of its mobile money capabilities with the debut of M-Pesa Global Payments, a cross-border payment service built to speed up, streamline, and secure international transactions for both consumers and businesses. Unveiled on 27 November 2025, the service allows M-Pesa customers to settle payments with merchants across the world straight from their mobile wallets.
Global Partnerships
The upgrade is powered by a network of global partners including Visa, Alipay(via Thunes), Network International, Magnati, TerraPay, and MTN Uganda unlocking multiple international touchpoints. Users can tap-and-pay on Visa-enabled terminals using the M-Pesa Visa digital card, make payments to merchants in China through Alipay, shop with TerraPay-linked stores in Dubai, and pay merchants in Uganda through MTN MoMo. All features are accessible via the regular M-Pesa USSD menu (15000#) or the M-Pesa Super App.
Epimack Mbeteni, Vodacom Tanzania’s Director for M-Pesa, highlighted the significance of these alliances, noting that the collaborations strengthen a borderless digital payments environment. He said the initiative allows individuals and companies to move money across countries with the same simplicity and safety they enjoy locally instant, secure, and cost-effective.
Market Growth and Mobile Money Trends
The launch comes as Tanzania’s mobile money sector continues its rapid expansion. According to Tanzania Investment and Consultant Group Ltd., Tanzania’s mobile money sector has grown remarkably, with subscriptions rising from 32.27 million in 2020 to 61.88 million in 2024, a nearly 92% increase over five years, reflecting the country’s accelerating digital transformation and growing confidence in electronic payment platforms. According to a GeoPoll survey, 94% of Tanzanians use Mobile Money, with mobile transactions dominating financial life.
The service is designed to address long-standing pain points in traditional banking channels for international payments, including high fees, delays, and security concerns. With Tanzania’s mobile money market expected to soar to USD 221 billion by 2033, growing at a robust compound annual rate of 12% between 2025 and 2033, according to Research and Markets, with mobile money adoption accelerating, Vodacom Tanzania plans to increase its foothold in high value international transaction flows.
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