Safaricom’s mobile money transfer service, M-PESA ecosystem has won accolades from visiting Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.
Speaking in Nairobi on Friday, Premier Mottley described Kenyan fintech products as inspiring and ethical and said they are admirable “because they are driven by the desire to help people.”
“This is one of the most inspiring presentations I have seen since I became the Prime Minister of my Island Nation, largely because it is driven by the desire to meet people where they need to be met,” said PM Mottley.
MPESA which is Africa’s most successful mobile money service, was launched in 2007 by Vodafone for Safaricom and Vodacom, the largest mobile network operators in Kenya and Tanzania. MPESA moves over 15 million shillings($147,532) per minute.
The Premier invited Kenyan innovators and businesses in the fintech ecosystem to visit her country in early 2020 to share their knowledge and experiences.
“I look forward to our working together and welcome you to Barbados in the first two months of 2020,” she said.
Safaricom’s Chief Financial Services Officer Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, said that M-PESA has revolutionized financial inclusion in Kenya by bringing traditional financial services to more than 27 million customers through their mobile phones.
“The lesson here is that we can never go wrong by focusing on our customers. It is this dedication and focus on our customers that has distinguished Safaricom and that endears us to our customers. Success comes from ensuring that those around you, those within your ecosystem also succeed,” said Lopokoiyit.
“Besides, we are open to share our learnings, experience and expertise, to spur financial inclusion in other markets. We welcome delegations such as the Barbados team, as through sharing our knowledge, we learn ways to improve M-PESA further,” said Lopokoiyit.
JK/abj/APA