When M-PESA was launched fourteen years ago in Kenya, many of us probably didn’t understand how revolutionary the mobile money platform would be. Today, M-PESA is the largest Fintech platform and Digital Ecosystem in Africa. Around thirty million transactions are done daily in Kenya, with over one trillion transactions that go through the ecosystem. Additionally, 2.3 billion dollars terminates into the country from the diaspora through M-PESA.
M-PESA has now launched the Super App which takes this innovation to the next level, and especially in this digital era. The M-PESA application is a redesign of the M-PESA experience, expected to provide solutions that meet the needs of the digital lifestyle.
Speaking at the launch, the CEO Mr. Peter Ndegwa started off with an analogy to show just how important our smartphones are in the world today. How many of us have our phones, and not our wallets at this given time? This goes to show just how important our phones have become to us today. In this age of smartphones, it has become imperative for companies to focus on providing digital solutions, and Safaricom has not been left behind.
The M-PESA app was originally launched back in May 2020, with integrated payment features, a separate wallet with higher limits, and a tracking system for money as it came in and out. Today, a little over a year later, the app has been re-launched with new features and added advantages. Over 70,000 businesses have given testament to the M-PESA app boosting their efficiency in one way or the other.
The M-PESA Super App will now have an offline feature, meaning that you don’t have to be connected to the internet in order to use it. You can carry out and monitor your transactions offline.
Secondly, the app has pre-installed mini-apps which are a quick efficient way to make payments. One of the apps that are already operational is the Madaraka Express Train App, where you can now pay and get your train tickets quickly and efficiently through the M-PESA App. On top of this, it has eight other live mini-apps and they are working on adding some more with time. The mini-apps can be accessed on the ‘discover’ section of the M-PESA App while merchants on Lipa Na M-PESA can do so through the “Hub” option on the M-PESA for Business App.
One super exciting feature of the M-PESA Super App is that it has integrated the use of Paypal, an international platform that allows you to send and receive money online. This means that we can now seamlessly access money from M-PESA through Paypal to make our online transactions. Here is the other way to do your Paypal to Mpesa Transactions. Go here Paypal to Mpesa
M-PESA Super App mini-apps feature
Another amazing feature that has been added to the M-PESA Super App is the “Request for money” tab. This is a mimic of the “Please Call Me” option that Safaricom has had for years. Therefore, instead of spending too much time making calls and sending texts, all you have to do is generate the request for money and send it to the person on the other end. Once they get the request, they can accept it and key in their M-PESA pin, and the money is automatically sent.
The new M-PESA Super App is modern, fun, and has an intuitive design. You have a personalized experience, with an option to put a profile picture and send personalized messages including using GIFs and emojis when sending people money. It has added security features including biometric features like Face identification, fingerprint scanner, and a security code.
If you have never sent money to the wrong person, count yourself lucky. With the M-PESA App, you can confirm transactions including the name of the recipient and the amount of money before hitting that send button. That way, you are less likely to send money to the wrong person.
Lastly, it is easy to track your monthly transactions and understand where the majority of your money is going. It categorizes your spending, whether it’s to family, paying bills, or shopping. The M-PESA SuperApp has changed the industry because now we can budget accordingly tracking where each of our coins is going. The M-PESA Super App is truly the future of money.
Additionally, Safaricom has also launched the M-PESA for Business App. This gives merchants a single point of convenience where they can renew their licenses, manage and pay bills, interact with suppliers, and all in all, manage and grow their businesses. It has graphs to track collections and disbursements, real-time statements, and an easy payment process. To add to this, the M-PESA for Business App on Lipa Na M-PESA will also have mini-apps available in the coming weeks under the “Hub” option.
The M-PESA Super App is available on Google Play and Apple Store. The M-PESA for Business App can be downloaded here. You get free 500 MBs for your first download and every 10th customer will get 500 shillings of airtime.
You can also access Pochi La Biashara on the app. Find out more about it here –
My Experience With Using Safaricom’s Pochi La Biashara For My Business
