Safaricom and PayPal have launched a direct wallet-to-wallet link for M-PESA users in Kenya, allowing over 35 million individuals and two million businesses to move funds between the two platforms.
The service enables PayPal account holders to withdraw to or top up from their M-PESA wallets, making it easier for users to access earnings or make payments across borders. Currently limited to Kenya, the rollout will extend to other M-PESA markets.
This move signals a growing push to integrate African fintech platforms with global payment networks. PayPal operates in over 200 markets and has more than 400 million users. M-PESA, which transacts over $1.1 billion daily, connects 50 million customers across Africa.
The move will also end the web portal powered by Thunes, which customers have used to transfer money from PayPal to their M-PESA wallets. It is not clear when this support will end.
Safaricom said the partnership will support digital entrepreneurs, freelancers, and micro traders whose work often depends on moving money across international platforms. It also responds to increasing demand for financial tools tailored to the gig economy.
Beyond consumer convenience, the deal reflects a shift towards global and local financial services interoperability.
In recent years, M-PESA has introduced micro-investment and low-value payment features like Ziidi MMF and M-PESA Junior Account. The PayPal integration extends this trend, aligning with broader efforts to give users more control over how they save, earn, and transact online.
