M-PESA Africa has received two awards at the Vodacom Group CEO Awards for its Tap to Pay partnership with Vodacom Tanzania and Visa, recognising the mobile money innovation developed around the M-PESA Visa Virtual Card.
The solution enables M-PESA Super App customers in Tanzania to make contactless payments using their mobile phones at Visa-accepting point-of-sale terminals equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology when travelling internationally.
Through the service, customers can pay directly from their M-PESA accounts while abroad, extending the use of mobile money beyond Tanzania and providing an additional option for international payments.
The partnership brings together M-PESA Africa, Vodacom Tanzania and Visa to expand access to contactless digital payments. By integrating the M-PESA Visa Virtual Card with NFC-enabled payment terminals, the solution allows customers to use their mobile phones for transactions at participating merchants outside the country.
M-PESA Africa described the innovation as another first for the mobile money sector, highlighting its contribution to expanding digital payment options across international markets.
The Vodacom Group CEO Awards also recognised individual contributions within the M-PESA ecosystem. Wangeci Thumbi, Senior Portfolio Manager, received an individual award for her strategic leadership in accelerating M-PESA ecosystem growth in Kenya and Mozambique.
Her contributions included promoting cross-market collaboration through merchant best practices and knowledge sharing, as well as establishing a unified investment framework across the Vodacom Group.
The awards highlight M-PESA Africa’s work in developing digital payment solutions and strengthening collaboration across its regional ecosystem.
