Mobile money gave East Africa financial access and now the region is building the infrastructure, intelligence, and ambition to deliver genuine financial empowerment at scale.
In just over a decade, East Africa moved from a landscape where millions lacked access to financial services to one where mobile money is woven into the fabric of everyday economic life. M-PESA is an East African success story which has been told many times. Women, rural populations, and informal workers across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda gained access to payments, savings and remittances through a device in their pocket, without ever setting foot in a branch. Governments followed, digitising tax collection, licensing, and public services through platforms like Kenya’s eCitizen, Rwanda’s Irembo, and Tanzania’s government payment gateway, GePG. Today, East Africa’s payments layer is mature, but the broader financial ecosystem is still evolving.
Mobile money is no longer a fintech product, it’s core infrastructure. The region has solved many problems, but the next level is moving from access to quality and embedded services.
Joe Kiragu
Regional Director: East Africa
