Safaricom’s M-PESA hits 40 million active customers in Kenya after 19 years of operation

Safaricom has announced that its mobile money service, M-PESA, now has 40 million customers in Kenya. The milestone comes in light of its 19 years of driving financial inclusion. 

Since its launch on March 6th, 2007, M-PESA has expanded beyond money transfers to include investment and wealth management through Ziidi MMF and Ziidi Trader, as well as business solutions such as Lipa na M-PESA.

While reacting to the milestone, Safaricom’s CEO, Peter Ndegwa, noted that the platform remains committed to ensuring Kenyans and the rest of Africa have the opportunity to navigate their financial life. He added that “to us, every M-PESA transaction tells a story of someone building their future.”

A notable part of its recent offerings is the M-PESA Super App. The mini-app empowers businesses to connect to more than 60 million customers and 5 million businesses, providing a digital storefront where businesses can offer their products and services.

“Our goal is to give Kenyans, and Africa at large, digital financial tools to empower them to be more prosperous,” Ndegwa said, noting that reaching 40 million monthly active customers in Kenya is a milestone worth celebrating. 

He added that M-PESA remains committed to enabling every Kenyan to transact safely, grow their savings, and build their wealth.

M-Pesa’s largest market is Kenya, where it was launched in 2007 by Safaricom and Vodafone. The mobile money platform has expanded significantly across Africa, with major operations in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, and Lesotho.

It has also expanded beyond Africa, with a presence in India, Albania, and Romania.

Also Read: M-PESA Ethiopia and Gebeya roll out Dala AI Bundle, bringing AI tools to mobile money users.

M-PESA growth

M-PESA has grown from a pioneering mobile money transfer service in Kenya to Africa’s largest fintech solution, serving over 70 million.

Through empowering affordable access to useful financial services for over 60 million customers and 5 million businesses, the mobile money platform contributed to nearly 60% growth in formal financial inclusion in different countries. Its operations had also led to 84% of the population achieving formal financial inclusion.

With a processing capacity of 4,000 transactions per second, the fintech handles about 100 million transactions daily, underscoring its critical role in driving financial inclusion and economic growth in Africa.

During its 18th anniversary celebrations, Safaricom launched the Ziidi Investment platform. Since its regulatory approval in November 2024, Ziidi allows customers to invest starting from as little as $0.75 (KSh 100), with a daily limit of $3,750 (KSh 500,000).

Over the past 12 months, the platform has deployed investments into technology to enhance fraud-prevention systems and customer education, both of which have strengthened M-PESA’s trust among millions of  customers 

Its Fintech 2.0 has transformed how users can save, invest and manage money directly from their mobile devices. M-Pesa is increasingly focusing on safeguarding customers’ funds and personal data in a world facing identity theft. 

M-PESA also accumulates numbers in terms of earnings. The platform, during the six months to September (H1 FY26) earnings, reported $676.9 million (KES 88.1 billion) in revenue, driven by higher transaction volumes and a growing merchant network. 

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