Vodacom Tanzania Unveils M-Pesa Global Payment, Unlocking Seamless Trade Across Continents

The service targets the growing number of Tanzanians who transact across East Africa, the Middle East and Asia but often struggle with slow, costly and sometimes insecure payment channels.

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Vodacom Tanzania has launched M-Pesa Global Payment, a major leap in cross-border digital commerce that allows millions of Tanzanians to make fast, secure and affordable international payments directly from their mobile phones, writes Winston Mwale.

Unveiled on November 27, the service is powered through partnerships with global giants VISA, Alipay, Network International, Magnati, TerraPay, Thunes, and MTN Uganda — positioning M-Pesa as one of Africa’s most advanced digital payment platforms.

Under the initiative, customers can now:

• Tap & Pay worldwide using the new M-Pesa Visa tokenized card

• Pay merchants in China via Alipay, enabled by Thunes

• Transact with merchants in Dubai, supported by TerraPay

• Pay merchants in Uganda directly into MTN MoMo wallets, powered by Thunes
  All services are accessible through the M-Pesa menu or the M-Pesa Super App.

A boost for traders and global travelers

The service targets the growing number of Tanzanians who transact across East Africa, the Middle East and Asia but often struggle with slow, costly and sometimes insecure payment channels.

“Our partnerships with VISA, Alipay, Network International and MTN Uganda demonstrate our commitment to building a strong and interconnected digital payments ecosystem,” said Epimack Mbeteni, M-Pesa Director at Vodacom Tanzania.

“We are enabling people and businesses to transact across borders as easily as they transact locally — securely, instantly and affordably.”

He added that the platform will help open new trade corridors, reduce business costs, and give MSMEs greater access to the global digital economy.

Africa’s first M-Pesa Tap & Pay with Visa

The launch includes the continent’s first fully tokenized M-Pesa Tap & Pay solution. Customers can pay globally anywhere Visa is accepted using only their mobile phones — without exposing card details.

“Through our collaboration, we are enabling millions of M-Pesa customers to experience secure, seamless, contactless payments,” said Victor Makere, Visa Country Manager for Tanzania.

“Tokenization brings an added layer of safety and convenience.”

Faster payments to China, Dubai and Uganda

The new platform introduces several cross-border corridors that are crucial for Tanzanian SMEs:

China — via Alipay (Thunes)

“Digitizing cross-border payments is a game-changer,” said Andrew Stewart, Chief Revenue Officer at Thunes.

“We are making it possible for Tanzanian businesses to pay Chinese merchants instantly through the Alipay network.”

Dubai — via TerraPay

“Tanzanians doing business in Dubai now have access to secure, interoperable payments,” noted Willie Kanyeki, TerraPay Vice President for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Uganda — via MTN MoMo

“This partnership marks a major stride toward seamless regional trade,” said Richard Yego, MTN Mobile Money Uganda Director. “We are unlocking greater financial access for thousands of cross-border traders.”

Powering MSMEs and financial inclusion

With Tanzania’s high mobile phone and mobile money penetration, Vodacom says these new tools will be transformative for small businesses that rely on fast and reliable payment systems.

The company highlights the service as a strategic step in strengthening digital financial inclusion across the region.

As M-Pesa evolves into a fully fledged international payment platform, Vodacom Tanzania says it will continue driving technological innovations that enable inclusive economic growth and simplify global commerce for ordinary consumers and businesses alike.

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