Airtel Money Africa, the mobile money division of Airtel Africa, has announced an extended partnership with pawaPay, Africa’s largest mobile money payment service provider, to enhance cross-border payments for licensed International Money Transfer Operators (IMTOs).
This collaboration officially launches pawaPay’s inbound remittance services across seven key Airtel Africa markets: Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, and Tanzania.
The partnership enables IMTOs to send funds directly to over 161 million Airtel Money customers’ wallets, leveraging pawaPay’s reliable and scalable platform, which boasts 99.9% uptime and processes more than four million transactions daily.
Building on five years of successful collaboration in domestic mobile money, this expansion strengthens Airtel Money Africa’s backend infrastructure to simplify and accelerate international remittances.
Ian Ferrao, CEO of Airtel Money Africa, emphasized the importance of the partnership, stating, “Their proven reliability and commitment to African consumers make them an ideal partner.”
”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 added, “Our mission is to simplify payments for businesses in Africa, and remittances are pivotal.
Deepening our relationship with Airtel Money allows IMTOs to leverage our world-class infrastructure for seamless cross-border payments.”
Remittances continue to play a vital role in supporting families, fostering entrepreneurship, and advancing financial inclusion across the continent.
The partnership promises secure, instant mobile wallet transactions, fueling Africa’s growing digital economy. pawaPay plans to extend this service to additional Airtel Money Africa markets in the coming months.