Kenya's M-Pesa to Join Pesalink in Move to Drive Interoperability

STARTUP VENTURE CAPITALJanuary 21, 2025 at 12:50 PM UTC

TLDR

Safaricom’s M-Pesa is set to join Kenya’s interbank payment system, Pesalink, marking a significant step toward unifying the country’s financial ecosystem
The integration will enable seamless transfers between mobile wallets and bank accounts, eliminating the need for separate agreements
This move aligns with the CBK’s goal of fostering financial inclusion and enhancing interoperability across Kenya’s financial sector

A joint proposal by Safaricom and the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) outlines plans to connect M-Pesa, Kenya’s largest mobile money platform, with Pesalink, which currently links 39 banks nationwide.

The integration will enable seamless transfers between mobile wallets and bank accounts, eliminating the need for separate agreements between banks and mobile money providers. This move aligns with the CBK’s goal of fostering financial inclusion and enhancing interoperability across Kenya’s financial sector through its Fast Payment System (FPS) initiative.

Pesalink currently facilitates instant bank-to-bank transfers but does not include mobile money services like M-Pesa. By joining the network, M-Pesa users will gain access to a broader range of financial services at lower transaction costs, bridging the gap between mobile money and formal banking.

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Key Takeaways

The integration of M-Pesa with Pesalink could reduce transaction costs significantly. Currently, transferring KES 10,000 via M-Pesa costs around KES 100, compared to Pesalink’s charges of KES significantly reduces transaction costs and benefits millions of Kenyans, especially small businesses, by enabling them to accept payments across multiple platforms without needing multiple wallets. It also strengthens the foundation for CBK’s FPS initiative, which aims to streamline transactions among commercial banks, SACCOs, and microfinance institutions. As Kenya advances toward a unified payments infrastructure, the collaboration between Safaricom, KBA, and CBK represents a major milestone in driving financial inclusion and digital innovation.

Kenya

Digital Payments

Fintech

Safaricom

Pesalink

Mobile Payments