Vodacom Tanzania Launches M-Pesa Global Payment Service to Enable Worldwide Cross-border Transactions

Vodacom Tanzania has just taken a big step forward by launching the M-Pesa Global Payment service. This new feature makes it possible for people in Tanzania to send and receive money across borders, opening up the world for local businesses and individuals who want to trade internationally. It’s a major upgrade that’s set to make cross-border transactions much easier and more secure, no matter where in the world the transaction is happening.

With the M-Pesa Global Payment service to enable worldwide cross-border transactions, Tanzanian users can now pay at any merchant that accepts Visa, using a tokenised M-Pesa Visa card right from their mobile. If someone wants to shop online in China, they can use Alipay through the Thunes network. For those dealing with businesses in Dubai, the TerraPay network makes it possible to pay directly from their M-Pesa wallet. And for anyone trading with Uganda, payments can be sent straight into MTN MoMo wallets, all without leaving the familiar M-Pesa menu or the M-Pesa Super App.

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This new service comes at a time when mobile money is becoming more popular in Tanzania. Over the past few years, the number of mobile money users has almost doubled, showing just how much people are moving away from cash and towards digital payments.

Vodacom’s M-Pesa Global Payment service is more than just a new feature—it’s about creating new opportunities. Epimack Mbeteni, Director of M-Pesa at Vodacom Tanzania, says these new partnerships mean people and businesses can now do international transactions as easily as they do local ones. Payments are fast, secure, and much cheaper than traditional banking options, which is a big deal for small and medium-sized businesses that have struggled with cross-border payments in the past.

Now, a small shop owner in Tanzania can buy goods from Dubai or China and pay directly from their mobile wallet. No more complicated bank transfers or waiting for days for money to arrive. This kind of easy, frictionless payment could change the way trade happens in the region, making it much simpler for businesses to reach new markets.

The partnership with Visa brings something special: a Tap & Pay solution that lets users make contactless payments with their mobile devices. This is the first time such a feature is available in Africa, and it uses tokenisation to keep payment details safe. As Victor Makere, Visa’s Tanzania country manager, explains, tokenisation means users can pay anywhere in the world without sharing their actual card details, making transactions safer and more convenient.

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Thunes’ global payment network powers payments through Alipay in China, connecting Tanzanian businesses to one of the biggest online shopping platforms in the world. TerraPay helps extend M-Pesa’s reach to Dubai, making it easier for African users to trade with the Middle East. And MTN Uganda’s involvement means East African merchants and customers can send and receive money across borders quickly and easily, making business smoother for anyone working in multiple countries.

All of these options are available right from the M-Pesa USSD menu or the M-Pesa Super App, so users don’t need to learn a new system. If you already use M-Pesa, everything will feel familiar and simple.

As mobile money keeps growing in East Africa, the M-Pesa Global Payment service could really speed up cross-border commerce. It gives Tanzanian businesses better access to global markets and helps more people join the international digital economy. Vodacom Tanzania’s launch of the M-Pesa Global Payment service shows they’re not just focused on local payments anymore, they want M-Pesa to be a global platform that empowers everyone to trade and do business anywhere in the world.

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