Mobile money payment provider pawaPay has officially launched its inbound remittance service across seven African markets through an expanded partnership with Airtel Money Africa, the mobile financial services arm of telecommunications giant Airtel Africa.
The service rollout covers Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Malawi, Gabon, Congo Brazzaville, and Tanzania, enabling International Money Transfer Operators to deliver funds directly to Airtel Money’s customer base of more than 161 million users across these markets.
Five-Year Partnership Deepens
The remittance service launch builds on half a decade of collaboration between the two companies in domestic mobile money operations. pawaPay’s platform, which maintains 99.9% uptime and handles over four million daily transactions, will now support Airtel Money Africa’s backend infrastructure for international transfers.
“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” ~ Ian Ferrao, CEO of Airtel Money Africa.
Targeting Licensed Money Transfer Operators
The partnership specifically targets licensed International Money Transfer Operators, providing them with direct access to Airtel’s mobile money network infrastructure. This development aims to streamline cross-border payment processes while reducing operational complexity for remittance providers.
pawaPay CEO Nikolai Barnwell emphasized the strategic importance of remittances in the company’s African expansion. “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” Barnwell stated.
Economic Impact and Future Expansion
The initiative addresses the critical role remittances play in African economies, where international transfers serve as financial lifelines for millions of families while supporting entrepreneurship and broader financial inclusion efforts. The partnership promises real-time mobile wallet transactions designed to accelerate Africa’s digital financial transformation.
Following this initial deployment across seven markets, pawaPay has indicated plans to expand the remittance capability to additional Airtel Money Africa territories, though specific markets and timelines remain undisclosed.
The collaboration represents a significant infrastructure development in Africa’s cross-border payment landscape, potentially reducing friction for money transfer operators while improving service delivery to end users across multiple countries.