Visa, a digital payments company, has awarded Safaricom a payment facilitator certificate, marking a key milestone in its ongoing collaboration with the telco.

This agreement intends to strengthen Safaricom's merchant ecosystem by expanding payment acceptance options, including the introduction of card payments that support all card networks through Visa's CyberSource Payment Gateway.

This project is part of a long-term cooperation that began with the successful introduction of the M-PESA GlobalPay Virtual Visa Card in June 2022. 

Safaricom merchants will now gain access to and offer a wider range of payment options by leveraging Visa's payment technology, allowing them to service customers more efficiently and securely.

Visa says that the partnership will continue to evolve, bringing new payment solutions to market.

Chad Pollock, general manager and vice president of Visa East Africa, commented: “This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing cutting-edge payment solutions that drive growth and efficiency for merchants. While in 2022 we opened the M-PESA consumers to the world with the GlobalPay Visa Virtual Card, we are now giving over 600,000 merchants access to the world of consumers”

While Esther Waititu, CFO of Safaricom, stated: " Our partnership with Visa has been instrumental in enhancing our payment capabilities. The introduction of card payments through Visa’s Cybersource gateway is a testament to our shared vision of empowering merchants with diverse and secure payment options.’’