Uber and Safaricom announced on Wednesday a partnership that will allow riders and delivery people across Kenya to pay and receive payments through M-PESA, the country’s leading mobile money service.
The partnership builds on a previous collaboration with UberEats, which enabled consumers to pay for food deliveries through M-PESA and delivery people to receive their earnings through the same platform.
The new integration will benefit drivers who lack bank accounts, as Uber’s data shows that about 20% of drivers on the platform do not have access to formal banking services.
“Through the integration of M-PESA for trip payments, we are excited to bring the ease and convenience of mobile money to riders on our platform,” said Imran Manji, Head of East Africa, Uber.
Kui Mbugua, General Manager UberEats, Kenya also commented, “We entered into this partnership with Safaricom in order to enhance the experience for delivery people and eaters on our platform through ease of access to earnings and providing a convenient mode of payment for deliveries, respectively.”
M-PESA is the most popular mode of cashless payments in Kenya, processing 6.4 billion transactions in the last financial year, according to Safaricom. The Central Bank of Kenya reported that the number of total card payments in the country were at 70 million for the same period.
“This partnership with Uber will enable us to provide thousands of drivers and delivery people alongside millions of customers with a fully digital solution with faster, secure, affordable, and convenient payments through M-PESA. We maintain a strong commitment to working with partners such as Uber as they enable us to deliver more value and opportunities to our customers in line with our purpose to transform lives,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO – Safaricom.