Safaricom PLC, Africa’s leading telecommunications and fintech provider, has announced a transformative upgrade to its M-PESA platform, marking the most significant overhaul since 2015. James Maitai, Group Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO) at Safaricom, described the upgrade as a bold step into a “Fintech 2.0 era,” designed to enhance scalability, reliability, and innovation for millions of users across Africa.
Launched in 2007 as a simple mobile money transfer service, M-PESA has grown into the continent’s largest fintech ecosystem, processing 4,500 transactions per second and serving over 35 million Kenyans, with millions more users across Africa. The platform now supports a wide range of services, including payments, savings, credit, insurance, remittances, and e-commerce. However, with growing demand and higher customer expectations, Safaricom has undertaken this major upgrade to ensure M-PESA remains a cornerstone of Africa’s digital economy.
“This upgrade is a bold investment in the future of M-PESA and a reaffirmation of our commitment to innovation, resilience, and customer trust,” Maitai said. The Fintech 2.0 platform introduces three key advancements: increased transaction capacity, enhanced system resilience, and AI-powered innovation. The upgraded system can now handle 6,000 transactions per second, with the potential to scale to 12,000, ensuring it meets rising demand. An active-active architecture across multiple hosting sites minimizes service interruptions, even during peak periods. Additionally, AI-driven features strengthen fraud detection, enable self-healing systems, and support real-time monitoring and faster service rollouts.
For M-PESA’s millions of users, the upgrade promises a more seamless and reliable experience. “At its core, this upgrade ensures M-PESA remains reliable, secure, and accessible, no matter how much demand grows,” Maitai emphasized. The improvements are designed to benefit both direct users and those indirectly reliant on the platform’s ecosystem.
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The upgrade also positions M-PESA as a hub for tech innovation. Developers and startups will benefit from more flexible APIs and faster integrations, enabling them to create next-generation fintech solutions. “This is an open playground for innovators to experiment, build, and scale,” Maitai noted, highlighting opportunities for businesses to leverage M-PESA’s infrastructure to deliver seamless digital experiences. The upgrade fosters a stronger innovation ecosystem, encouraging collaboration between startups and established players to drive value for consumers and enterprises.
Beyond Safaricom, the Fintech 2.0 platform is set to transform Africa’s digital economy. By laying the groundwork for interoperable, cross-border financial systems, M-PESA aims to strengthen trade and regional integration. The platform supports large-scale digitization in sectors like health, education, retail, and government, while accelerating financial inclusion for underserved communities through advanced yet accessible digital solutions. “We are helping businesses grow, governments deliver services more efficiently, and individuals gain access to tools that improve their lives,” Maitai said.
Maitai hailed the upgrade as a milestone in M-PESA’s 18-year journey of transforming lives through simple, inclusive financial services. The cloud-native platform is now faster, smarter, and more secure, positioning Safaricom to drive economic empowerment, support regional expansion, and deliver cutting-edge services with unmatched reliability. He expressed pride in the Safaricom teams whose efforts ensured a seamless transition, stating, “Their work ensures M-PESA remains a trusted partner for individuals, businesses, and governments, fueling Africa’s digital economy for decades to come.”
As Safaricom embarks on this new chapter, Maitai declared, “The future of fintech in Africa is here, and with Fintech 2.0, we are ready to build it together.”
