Launched by Safaricom in 2007, M-PESA packs transfers, bill payments, wages and microloans into a USSD menu; it became the template for African mobile finance and spawned savings products such as M-Shwari.
Within this atlas it appears in 7 markets: DR Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Lesotho.
Key facts
- Developer
- Safaricom
- Launched
- 2007
- Platforms
- iOS · Android · USSD
- Category
- Payments
- Official website
- www.safaricom.co.ke
Where it is used
7Frequently asked questions
5 Q&AWhat is M-PESA?
M-PESA is a payments app developed by Safaricom and launched in 2007. The mobile money that let Kenya skip cards. Launched by Safaricom in 2007, M-PESA packs transfers, bill payments, wages and microloans into a USSD menu; it became the template for African mobile finance and spawned savings products such as M-Shwari.
Who develops M-PESA?
Safaricom. The product launched in 2007 and runs on iOS · Android · USSD.
In which countries is M-PESA popular?
Within this atlas it appears in 7 markets: DR Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Lesotho.
What is the official website of M-PESA?
The official site is https://www.safaricom.co.ke.
What kind of app is M-PESA?
It belongs to the payments category, alongside 127 other apps in this index.
Sources
Updated 2026-11-12- DataReportal — Digital 2026
- ITU — Statistics
- Official product sites
World Sites & Apps. “What is M-PESA? Developer, launch year and countries”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/a/mpesa.html