NAIROBI, Kenya -Airtel Money Africa has expanded its partnership with payment service provider pawaPay to enable international money transfers across seven African countries.
The arrangement will facilitate inbound remittances into Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, and Tanzania.
Licensed International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs) will be able to send funds directly into mobile wallets of more than 161 million Airtel Money customers.
pawaPay’s platform, which processes over four million transactions a day, is expected to serve as the backbone for the service, offering what the companies describe as high reliability and 99.9% uptime.
The move builds on five years of cooperation between Airtel Money Africa and pawaPay in domestic mobile money services.
“We’re pleased to expand our partnership with pawaPay to advance international remittances across Africa. Their proven reliability and commitment to African consumers make them an ideal partner,”said Airtel Money Africa Ian Ferrao.
“This integration empowers International Money Transfer Operators to securely connect with Airtel Money’s growing footprint, delivering real-time payments that support financial inclusion and economic growth.”
PawaPay CEO, Nikolai Barnwell, on his part said, “Our mission is to simplify payments for businesses in Africa, and remittances are pivotal. Deepening our relationship with Airtel Money allows International Money Transfer Operators to leverage our world-class infrastructure for seamless cross-border payments.”
The partnership is positioned to tap into Africa’s heavy reliance on remittances, which serve as a lifeline for millions of households, financing daily expenses, education, and small businesses.
Mobile wallet payments are increasingly seen as an efficient alternative to cash pickups, given the continent’s growing mobile penetration and digital finance adoption.
The companies said the service would provide secure and instant transactions, with pawaPay planning to expand the remittance capability to more Airtel Money markets in the coming months.
The move comes amid increased competition among mobile money operators to dominate cross-border transfers, a segment expected to grow as more Africans work abroad and send funds home.
