Mobile money boom drives Airtel digital payment growth

DAR ES SALAAM: FUELLED by Tanzania’s rapid shift toward digital payments and financial inclusion, the country’s mobile money boom is accelerating transaction volumes and expanding agent networks, creating fresh momentum for Airtel Money’s revenue growth and market share gains.

As more individuals and small businesses rely on mobile platforms for payments, savings and transfers, transaction volumes and service diversification expand, strengthening revenue streams and competition in the telecom-led financial services space and reinforcing mobile money’s role as a key driver of economic activity.

Airtel Money recorded steady growth in active accounts and transaction volumes in the fourth quarter of 2025, as Tanzania’s fast-expanding mobile money market continued to deepen financial inclusion and digital payments adoption.

Data from the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) showed the total number of mobile money accounts used at least once in the previous three months rose 6.7 per cent to 76,466,691 in the quarter ended December 2025, up from 71,662,333 in the quarter ended September.

Airtel Money’s active accounts increased to 14,180,725 in December from 13,495,550 in October, a gain of 685,175 accounts, representing quarterly growth of about 5.1 per cent.

The figures underscore intensifying competition among providers including M-Pesa, Mixx by Yas, HaloPesa, T-Pesa and Azam Pesa, as operators seek a larger share of one of East Africa’s most dynamic digital payments markets.

Across the industry, transaction volumes climbed 68.8 per cent year-on-year to 6.31 billion transactions in 2025, compared with 3.74 billion in 2024, reflecting growing consumer reliance on mobile platforms for everyday payments. In the fourth quarter alone, total transactions across providers reached 664.7 million, up from 587.2 million in the same period a year earlier.

Airtel Money processed 119.4 million transactions in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from 106.7 million in the corresponding quarter of 2024, suggesting higher account activity and broader uptake of digital payments for transfers, merchant payments and bill settlements.

The growth comes as Airtel Tanzania expands its physical and digital footprint under its ‘Airtel Kila Kona’ (Every Corner) campaign. Earlier this month, the company launched 31 new smart shops nationwide at an event in Dodoma officiated by Communications and Information Technology Minister Angellah Kairuki. The outlets are designed to offer connectivity services, smartphone financing under the ‘Simu za Mkopo’ programme and access to Airtel Money services.

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Airtel Tanzania Managing Director Charles Kamoto said the smart shops would support more than 400 small and medium-sized enterprises in each location with highspeed 5G connectivity and digital financial services, while also expanding the company’s agent network. Economic analyst from the University of Dar es Salaam, Dr Bravious Kahyoza said the retail push reflects a broader strategy among telecom operators to combine physical touchpoints with incentives and pricing campaigns to drive mobile money adoption.

“By increasing customer access to onboarding, wallet support and smartphone financing, operators aim to convert cash-based users into regular digital transactors,” he said in a phone.

The government has also backed network expansion, with 753 new telecom towers constructed under the Universal Communications Services Access Fund and a further 132 under development, according to officials. Improved coverage is expected to support further uptake of mobile and financial services in rural areas.

Tanzania’s mobile money market remains dominated by larger incumbents, but Airtel Money’s steady account and transaction growth signals incremental gains in a market where pricing, agent reach and ecosystem partnerships are critical. Dr Kahyoza notes that sustained growth will depend not only on customer acquisition but also on increasing transaction frequency and higher-value services such as merchant payments and digital credit.

“With mobile money accounts now exceeding the country’s population due to multi-wallet usage, competition is likely to focus on deepening activity per user rather than simple account growth,” he noted.

For Airtel Money, the latest quarterly figures suggest that a combination of retail expansion, infrastructure investment and transaction-led campaigns is beginning to translate into measurable gains as Tanzania’s digital payments ecosystem matures.

The rise of mobile money in Tanzania is significant as it is transforming the country’s financial landscape, bringing millions of unbanked citizens into the formal economy and enabling faster, safer transactions.

Tanzania’s mobile money boom is boosting the economy by increasing financial inclusion, formalising cash flows and improving the efficiency of transactions across sectors.

By enabling more citizens and businesses to access secure, convenient digital payments, it stimulates consumption, supports small and medium enterprises and attracts investment, while providers like Airtel Money contribute to job creation and technological innovation, making mobile money a key driver of broader economic growth.

For providers like Airtel Money, this trend translates into increased transaction volumes, wider customer reach and new revenue opportunities, highlighting mobile money’s growing role as a catalyst for economic growth and digital inclusion.