MTN Rwanda has expanded its offline payment service, Pay with MoMo, to more than 55,000 merchant locations nationwide, significantly widening the network for cashless transactions. The expansion, announced by the telecom operator, marks a major step in its strategy to embed mobile money into everyday commerce across the country.
The service allows customers to make payments directly from their MoMo wallets at physical stores, restaurants, and service points without needing a smartphone or an internet connection. This focus on offline accessibility is seen as crucial for driving financial inclusion in a market where feature phones remain prevalent. The rollout follows a partnership with Stabex International, a petroleum products distributor, to integrate MoMo payments at its service stations and to launch a reward program for motorcycle taxi, or boda, riders who use the service.
This merchant push comes as mobile money continues to be the financial engine for MTN Rwanda. For the first quarter of 2026, mobile money contributed more than half of the company's total revenue, according to its earnings report. The division's performance helped MTN Rwanda return to profitability after a period of net losses, underscoring the critical role of digital financial services in the operator's business model.
The partnership with Stabex, announced earlier in May 2026, specifically targets the high-volume boda transport sector. The initiative offers riders cashback rewards on fuel purchases and other transactions made via MoMo at Stabex outlets, aiming to convert a traditionally cash-reliant segment into regular digital payment users. Analysts view such targeted programs as effective for habit formation and expanding the utility of mobile money beyond simple peer-to-peer transfers.
Rwanda has been a proactive market in East Africa's digital finance landscape, with the government implementing policies to encourage cashless payments and formalize the economy. The growth of MTN MoMo's merchant network aligns with these national objectives, providing an alternative to card-based systems and increasing the touchpoints for digital transactions. The scale of the network, now exceeding 55,000 locations, positions Pay with MoMo as one of the most widely accepted mobile payment options in the country.
The expansion reflects a broader trend across Africa where telecom-led mobile money services are increasingly competing with banks and fintech startups for dominance in the payments space. By building extensive offline merchant networks, operators like MTN aim to create ecosystems that lock in customers and generate steady revenue from transaction fees. The success in Rwanda provides a case study for similar rollouts in other MTN markets across the continent, where mobile money remains a key growth pillar.
As the network grows, the focus for MTN Rwanda will likely shift to increasing transaction volumes and frequency at these new merchant points. The company's recent financial results suggest that with mobile money now contributing a majority of revenue, sustaining this growth through innovative use cases and partnerships will be paramount for its continued profitability and market leadership.