Kenya’s M-Pesa Expands Into Europe With Cross-Border Payment Services

Kenya’s mobile money giant M-Pesa has officially entered the European market with a new cross-border payment service, marking a major milestone in the platform’s global expansion. The move, announced in mid-September 2025, will allow millions of users in Europe and Africa to send and receive money seamlessly, bridging one of the busiest remittance corridors in the world.

The service is being launched in partnership with leading European financial institutions and payment processors, ensuring compliance with the European Union’s strict regulatory framework. M-Pesa’s parent companies, Safaricom and Vodacom, emphasized that the expansion is aimed at providing faster, cheaper, and more reliable money transfers for both individuals and businesses. With African diaspora communities sending billions of dollars annually back home, M-Pesa hopes to capture a significant share of the remittance market while strengthening economic ties between continents.

M-Pesa first launched in Kenya in 2007 and quickly grew into one of the most successful mobile money platforms globally, transforming how financial transactions are carried out in regions with limited access to traditional banking. Today, it boasts over 60 million active users across multiple African countries. Its entry into Europe represents the company’s first large-scale push into developed markets, where it aims to compete with established players like Western Union, Wise, and PayPal.

Executives at Safaricom said the decision to expand was driven by demand from African expatriates who already rely heavily on M-Pesa for domestic transfers. By creating a direct channel for money to flow between Europe and Africa, the platform could significantly reduce transfer costs and settlement times. M-Pesa is also introducing a digital wallet integrated with European banking systems, allowing customers to pay bills, shop online, and manage remittances all from one platform.

Industry observers see the move as a game-changer for the global payments landscape. Remittances from Europe to Africa represent a multibillion-dollar market each year, but traditional services often charge high fees and rely on outdated infrastructure. By leveraging mobile money technology, M-Pesa aims to cut costs while improving accessibility for underserved communities. Analysts believe that if the rollout is successful, M-Pesa could expand further into North America and Asia, turning it into a truly global financial technology brand.

The expansion also highlights a shift in the fintech industry, where innovation from emerging markets is increasingly influencing developed economies. M-Pesa’s success story in Africa demonstrated the power of mobile money to promote financial inclusion, and its European launch suggests that the same model could disrupt established financial services worldwide.

There are challenges ahead, particularly around regulatory hurdles, competition from entrenched providers, and customer trust in new systems. However, M-Pesa is banking on its reputation, extensive user base, and proven technology to carve out a place in Europe’s crowded payments market.

For millions of users, especially migrant workers and small businesses, M-Pesa’s arrival in Europe could mean more affordable remittances, faster cross-border payments, and a new era of financial connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world.