World Sites & Apps
Payments · 2007 · Safaricom

M-PESA

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.

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

7

Frequently asked questions

5 Q&A
What 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
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “What is M-PESA? Developer, launch year and countries”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/a/mpesa.html