[PHOTOS] M-Pesa celebrates 18 years since establishment

Giant telecommunication company Safaricom on Friday held celebrations to mark the 18th birthday of its MPesa product.

M-Pesa started as a simple mobile money transfer service and has since evolved into a global benchmark for financial inclusion, empowering millions across Africa and beyond.

Recounting M-Pesa's journey, the Founding CEO of the telecommunication company, Michael Joseph, said it evolved from a service plagued with challenges to one of the world’s most reliable and widely used systems.

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said the product has stood the test of time, adding that the challenges it experienced before are now issues of the past.

He expressed hope and commitment to ensure the product adapts to the ever-changing technological advancements.

In just over 8 years after its launch, M-Pesa was able to spread across multiple countries in Africa. 

M-Pesa expanded operations from its Kenyan home to the neighbours Tanzania in April 2008, a year after launching. 

The product was further launched in Central Africa, where it established operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo in November  2012

A year later, in 2013, M-Pesa expanded offices to three other countries. In North Africa, they expanded to Egypt in June 2013. In Southern Africa, M-Pesa opened shops in Mozambique and Lesotho in May 2013 and July 2013, respectively. 

Later on, they headed to West Africa, where they established themselves in Ghana in December 2015. 

Safaricom founding CEO Michael Joseph speaking during the celebrations to mark MPESA's 18th birthday at Safaricom headquarters, Nairobi on March 7, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAI

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa speaking during the celebrations to mark MPESA's 18th birthday at Safaricom headquarters, Nairobi on March 7, 2025/LEAH MUKANGAI