M-Pesa Just Turned Android Phones into Global Visa Cards. Here is Why Tanzania Got it First.
Vodacom Tanzania and M-Pesa launched Africa's first Tap to Pay feature, allowing Android users global contactless payments despite hardware limits...
✨ Key Highlights
Vodacom Tanzania, in partnership with M-Pesa Africa, Visa, and Paymentology, has launched Africa's first mobile-money Tap-to-Pay feature for Android users, seamlessly integrating mobile money with global contactless payment networks.
- This feature allows Tanzanian M-Pesa users to tap their phones at any Visa-enabled Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal worldwide, bypassing traditional banks.
- The innovation leverages NFC technology, a virtual Visa card generated within the M-Pesa SuperApp, and tokenisation by Paymentology for secure transactions.
- While hailed for financial inclusion, the feature is currently limited by the availability of NFC-enabled devices and Visa contactless terminals among merchants, particularly outside major cities.
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M-Pesa Turns Android Phones into Global Visa Cards in Tanzania - March 2026
Vodacom Tanzania, in partnership with M-Pesa Africa, Visa, and Paymentology, has launched Africa's first mobile-money Tap-to-Pay feature for Android users, enabling contactless payments at Visa-enabled terminals globally. M-Pesa has also rolled out this Tap-to-Pay feature in Tanzania, allowing users to make contactless payments using their smartphones. This launch positions Tanzania as the first African country to receive this mobile money innovation. In related financial technology news, Old Mutual Holdings reported a KES 856 million profit after tax for the year ended December 2025, marking a 2% increase from the previous year, with digital growth and the Thrive App driving momentum.
