Safaricom is preparing to launch a tap-to-pay feature for its M-Pesa mobile money service in Kenya, following a successful rollout in Tanzania earlier this month. The service, which allows users to make contactless payments by tapping their NFC-enabled smartphones at point-of-sale terminals, is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks, according to a report from TechArena. This move represents a significant expansion of a product first launched by Vodacom Tanzania, M-Pesa Africa, and partners on March 11, 2026.

The initial launch in Tanzania, described by the partners as Africa's first tap-to-pay mobile money service, was developed in collaboration with the global card issuing and processing platform Paymentology and leverages Visa's technology. The service enables Vodacom M-Pesa customers to make payments by simply holding their smartphones near a contactless payment terminal, with funds deducted directly from their M-Pesa wallet. This integration aims to blend the widespread adoption of mobile money with the convenience of contactless card payments.

Vodacom Tanzania's Managing Director, Philip Besiimire, stated that the launch aligns with the company's strategy to drive financial inclusion by offering affordable and accessible digital financial services. The service is initially available to customers with compatible NFC-enabled Android smartphones, with plans to expand device support in the future. The rollout in Tanzania serves as a critical pilot for Safaricom, which operates the much larger M-Pesa ecosystem in Kenya, where the service has over 30 million active customers and is deeply integrated into the national economy.

The impending Kenyan launch coincides with another planned update to the M-Pesa platform concerning user privacy. Safaricom has announced it will implement data minimisation measures that will mask customer names and phone numbers during transactions, a change also expected in the coming weeks. This dual focus on enhancing both payment convenience and data security reflects the evolving regulatory and consumer expectations surrounding digital financial services in East Africa.

M-Pesa, originally launched in Kenya in 2007, has been a catalyst for financial inclusion across the region, moving beyond simple person-to-person transfers to become a platform for savings, credit, and merchant payments. The introduction of tap-to-pay technology represents a natural progression, seeking to capture a share of the formal retail payment market traditionally dominated by card networks and to reduce the reliance on cash. For Safaricom, replicating the Tanzania model in its home market is a strategic step to maintain its dominance as fintech innovation accelerates.

The broader African fintech landscape has seen increasing convergence between mobile money operators, traditional banking infrastructure, and global payment networks. Partnerships, such as the one between M-Pesa Africa, Paymentology, and Visa, are becoming more common as companies seek to build interoperable systems that can facilitate seamless cross-border and digital commerce. The success of the tap-to-pay feature in Kenya, M-Pesa's most mature market, will be closely watched as an indicator of consumer readiness to adopt next-generation mobile financial tools.