Safaricom has announced a groundbreaking collaboration with PayPal that aims to empower more than 35 million M-PESA customers and two million businesses and micro traders in Kenya with seamless access to PayPal’s global payments network.
The partnership opens new opportunities for individuals and enterprises to transact beyond borders, connecting Kenya’s thriving digital economy with the rest of the world.
Through this collaboration, Safaricom M-PESA customers can link their M-PESA wallets directly to their PayPal accounts, enabling a simple and secure way to transfer funds between the two platforms. Users can withdraw money from PayPal into M-PESA for local use or top up their PayPal accounts from M-PESA to make international payments. This service is designed to streamline cross-border transactions and enhance convenience for both individual customers and businesses engaging in international trade.
Currently, the solution is available to Safaricom M-PESA customers in Kenya, with plans underway to expand the service to other M-PESA markets across Africa. This move positions M-PESA as a key driver of cross-border commerce, enabling millions of Africans to participate more effectively in the global digital economy.
Esther Waititu, Chief Financial Services Officer at Safaricom PLC, underscored the significance of the partnership:
“As globalization and digitization continue to reshape how people and businesses connect, our partnership with PayPal is a bold step forward in enabling seamless, worry-free, safe, secure, and inclusive digital payments. This collaboration empowers over thirty-five million customers and two million businesses and micro-entrepreneurs across Kenya to participate in the global digital economy by conveniently sending and receiving payments across more than 200 markets. It’s part of our commitment to unlocking opportunities and transforming lives through the power of M-PESA.”
PayPal, a leading global payment processor with more than 400 million active accounts across 200 markets, sees the collaboration as an opportunity to deepen financial inclusion in Africa. Otto Williams, Regional Head and General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at PayPal, said:
“Building seamless connections between the global economy and local financial ecosystems is crucial to expanding digital financial inclusion. We are thrilled to enable millions of M-PESA’s customers across Africa connect more easily to PayPal’s international customer base.”
For nearly two decades, M-PESA has been at the forefront of digital financial innovation in Africa. Launched in 2007, the service has grown into the continent’s largest mobile money platform, today connecting more than 50 million customers across Africa. Its impact on financial inclusion has been profound. Initiatives like M-PESA Kadogo, introduced in 2016, waived fees for transactions of Kshs 100 and below, making everyday digital payments more accessible to low-income users. More recently, Ziidi MMF allowed customers to invest with as little as Kshs 100, encouraging a culture of saving and supporting long-term financial wellness.
The new PayPal integration builds on this legacy of innovation by addressing the needs of Kenya’s rapidly expanding gig economy. With more Africans taking on freelance and remote work for clients across the world, reliable access to international payments has become critical. The ability to move funds between PayPal and M-PESA will support freelancers, online merchants, and micro-entrepreneurs in receiving earnings promptly and securely, while also allowing them to make global purchases and payments.
This partnership also reflects a growing trend toward interoperability among fintech providers. By combining their respective strengths, Safaricom and PayPal are creating a more connected digital financial ecosystem that meets customer needs in practical and innovative ways. Interoperability ensures that users can benefit from a range of services without being limited by platform boundaries, ultimately enhancing convenience and driving financial inclusion.
With more than $1.1 billion transacted daily on M-PESA, the platform continues to demonstrate its central role in Africa’s financial landscape. By linking with PayPal’s extensive international network, Safaricom is ensuring that M-PESA customers are not only connected locally but are also fully equipped to engage in the global marketplace.
This collaboration reaffirms the commitment of both Safaricom and PayPal to advancing digital financial inclusion, supporting economic growth, and empowering individuals and businesses to thrive in a rapidly digitizing world. For M-PESA customers, it represents an important step toward a future where cross-border payments are as simple and seamless as local transactions—unlocking opportunities, fostering innovation, and transforming lives.
