Mobile Money is a mobile payment system based on accounts held by a mobile operator and accessible from subscribers' mobile phones. The conversion of cash into electronic value (and vice versa) happens at retail stores (or agents). All transactions are authorised and recorded in real-time using SMS. in the year 2007, M-PESA was launched.

MTN Mobile Money agent's stand in Ghana

In 2008, a Ugandan software developer named Ronald Egesa of Mobitrix Uganda Ltd was reported by the leading newspapers to have developed the country's first mobile phone bank that he called SmartCash It was reported to be a network independent service.

In 2009, GSMA made a grant to Safaricom to support the development of a social transfer payment project via M-Pesa.

M-PESA was developed by Vodafone and first deployed by its Kenyan affiliate Safaricom. In May 2012, there were over 15 million customers of M-PESA in Kenya.

Countries with a Mobile Money Presence

Current Mobile Money Presence in African Countries
Currency ISOCountryCurrency
XOFBeninCFA franc
BWPBotswanaBotswana pula
XOFBurkina FasoCFA franc
BIFBurundiBurundi franc
XAFCameroonCFA franc
XAFChadCFA franc
CDFDemocratic Republic of the CongoCongolese franc
EGPEgyptEgyptian pound
ETBEthiopiaEthiopian birr
XAFGabonCFA franc
GHSGhanaGhanaian cedi
GNFGuineaGuinean franc
XOFGuinea-BissauCFA franc
XOFIvory CoastCFA franc
KESKenyaKenyan shilling
LSLLesothoLesotho loti
LRDLiberiaLiberian dollar
MGAMadagascarMalagasy ariary
MWKMalawiMalawian kwacha
XOFMaliCFA franc
MROMauritaniaMauritanian ouguiya
MURMauritiusMauritian rupee
MADMoroccoMoroccan dirham
MZNMozambiqueMozambican metical
NADNamibiaNamibian dollar
XOFNigerCFA franc
NGNNigeriaNigerian naira
RWFRwandaRwandan franc
XOFSenegalCFA franc
SLLSierra LeoneSierra Leonean leone
SOSSomaliashilling
ZARSouth AfricaSouth African rand
SDGSudanSudanese pound
SZLSwazilandSwazi lilangeni
TZSTanzaniaTanzanian shilling
XOFTogoCFA franc
TNDTunisiaTunisian dinar
UGXUgandaUgandan shilling
ZMWZambiaZambian kwacha
ZWDZimbabweZimbabwean dollar