M-PESA, Safaricom Ethiopia in joint effort to boost financial inclusion
Ethiopia
,
17 Mar 2025
Mobile financial services provider M-PESA is on a drive to empower Ethiopia’s tech innovators and help increase financial inclusion.
A partnership between M-PESA and sister company Safaricom Ethiopia aims to address the country’s large financial inclusion gaps, by offering mobile payments, savings, lending, and other financial services to underserved communities without access to traditional banking.
In a move to support Ethiopia’s rapidly growing tech ecosystem, Elsa Muzzolini, CEO of Safaricom M-PESA Mobile Financial Services, led a team to Jimma University’s Innovation Incubation Centre on Saturday. The centre is a hub for over 20 startups pioneering digital solutions.
According to Muzzolini, the visit follows developer engagements at ALX Africa and HiLCoE in Addis Ababa, as well as Mekelle University.
“With Ethiopia’s developer community expanding quickly, key challenges remain, including barriers to server payments and the complexity of integrating with global platforms like Google Play Store and App Store. Recognising these hurdles, M-PESA aims to foster a more accessible digital environment by offering solutions that simplify these processes,” said Muzzolini.
A major highlight of the visit to Jimma University was the introduction of the M-PESA open API, which allows seamless payment integration. By opening the API to developers and startups, the mobile payments company is striving to provide the tools necessary for innovation in the local fintech ecosystem.
Graham Riley, B2B Marketing and Sales lead at LinkedIn, welcomed M-PESA’s efforts. Writing on LinkedIn, he said: “Opening up the M-PESA API and developer portal is a significant step in fostering a supportive environment for Ethiopian tech startups. Such initiatives enhance opportunities for innovation and growth.”
In addition to their work with developers, the M-PESA team visited local merchants and distributors to understand how digital payment systems can contribute to financial inclusion and spur business growth.