Vodacom now enables Tanzanians to pay merchants globally via M-Pesa

Vodacom’s Tanzania arm has launched M-Pesa Global Payment, a suite of new international payment features on M-Pesa that allow its over 22 million users to pay merchants in China, Dubai, Uganda, and anywhere Visa is accepted, directly from their phones.

The launch is in partnership with global payments network provider Visa, Alipay, a Chinese digital payment platform, Middle-Eastern payments network providers, Network International and Magnati, and MTN Uganda, a mobile money operator.

“Our partnerships demonstrate our commitment to building a strong and interconnected digital payments ecosystem,” Epimack Mbeteni, M-Pesa Director at Vodacom Tanzania, said. “ Together, we are enabling people and businesses to transact across borders with the same ease as they transact locally, securely, instantly, and affordably.”

Vodacom Tanzania introduces a pioneering feature in Africa, the M-Pesa Tap & Pay, powered by Visa’s tokenisation technology. The feature allows customers to make contactless payments globally using their phones, just like how cardholders tap their physical cards at point-of-sale terminals. Instead of carrying a card, users generate a secure virtual Visa card within the M-Pesa app, allowing them to tap at any Visa-enabled terminal globally.

“This innovation supports Tanzania’s transition toward a fully digital payments ecosystem and empowers consumers and businesses with more modern ways to pay,” Victor Makere, Visa Country Manager for Tanzania, said.

The M-Pesa Global Payment initiative opens several new trade corridors. M-Pesa users can now make payments to Chinese merchants through Alipay, an important link for Tanzanian importers who source goods from China’s major markets. In September 2025, Tanzania had imported goods worth $862 million from China. The feature is enabled by the global network of Thunes, a cross-border payments infrastructure provider.

In East Africa, Vodacom has partnered with MTN Uganda to allow users to pay merchants directly into MTN MoMo wallets, making settlement easier for traders operating between Tanzania and Uganda. Customers can also transact with selected merchants in Dubai through TerraPay’s global merchant network.

These additions address a longstanding gap in cross-border trade and payments. The corridors remain slow, expensive, and fragmented for East African SMEs. Some traders have to rely on cash-based workarounds or high-fee intermediaries.

Vodacom’s bet is that since M-Pesa is already embedded in Tanzania’s domestic financial system, it can offer a regulated and familiar solution for international payments.

“Through this combined effort, we are opening new trade corridors, reducing the cost of doing business, and giving customers greater freedom to participate in the global digital economy,” Mbeteni said.