Vodacom launches M-Pesa tap-to-pay in Tanzania, a boost for Africa’s digital payments

Vodacom has introduced a tap-to-pay feature on its M-Pesa platform in Tanzania, becoming the first of its kind in Africa. The service allows users to make contactless payments directly from their Android smartphones at any Visa-enabled terminal, both locally and internationally.

Developed in partnership with Visa and Paymentology, the feature converts M-Pesa wallets into virtual cards, marking a significant step in the evolution of mobile money as it expands beyond transfers to everyday retail payments.

Epimack Mbeteni, M-Pesa director at Vodacom, said the tap-to-pay feature has gone from being a simple idea to a live reality.

“This launch is the result of deep collaboration across Vodacom, M-Pesa Africa, Visa, and Paymentology, and reflects our shared commitment to making payments simpler, safer, and more accessible.” He said.

How the new feature works on M-Pesa

The tap-to-pay feature is enabled by Paymentology’s cloud-first issuing and processing infrastructure, enhancing the functionality of the M-Pesa Visa virtual card for secure, tokenized, tap-and-go payments.

The solution brings together mobile money, virtual cards, and global card acceptance into a single, seamless customer experience. Instead of physical cards or cash, M-Pesa users can simply tap their Android phones at any Visa-enabled terminal to complete transactions.

SImilar read: Vodacom Tanzania unveils M-Pesa Global Payment to provide cross-border payments worldwide

The technology uses secure tokenization at the issuer level, meaning customers’ actual card details are never exposed during transactions. A unique digital token is used for each payment, significantly reducing fraud risk.

Building on Tanzania’s rapid mobile money adoption

Tanzania’s mobile money ecosystem is expanding rapidly, reaching 76.5 million mobile money accounts as of December 2025, according to Paymentology.

The rollout represents the first time tap-to-pay capability is available in Tanzania, reflecting a broader shift where mobile payments and real-time digital transactions are increasingly central to the country’s economy.

Meagan Rabe, vice president of merchant services, acquiring, and fintech for Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa, said the launch represents a true collaboration between Visa, Paymentology, Vodacom, and M-Pesa.

“Collectively, this partnership is establishing tap-to-pay as a widely adopted payment solution for daily transactions.” She said.

Anna Porra, chief revenue officer at Paymentology, said the launch marks a way forward for Tanzania’s digital economy. “We’re proud to support Vodacom and M-Pesa, alongside Visa, with the issuer-processing capabilities that enable fast, secure, and next-generation payments for millions of people.”

Tanzania leads in mobile payment technology among African countries. The addition of tap-to-pay features in mobile wallets is notable, especially in regions where more people have smartphones than bank accounts.

For Tanzania’s 76.5 million mobile money users, the feature removes friction from daily payments whilst maintaining the security and convenience that made M-Pesa dominant across East Africa.

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