This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
June 25, 2020, marked a significant milestone for freelancers and online money transfer users in Kenya, as Safaricom's M-Pesa platform linked with PayPal, under the M-Pesa Global umbrella. This partnership has made international transactions relatively easier, but one major challenge remained: the unpredictable wait time for funds to reflect in M-Pesa wallets.
While M-Pesa's link with PayPal has improved wait times, with some transactions taking as little as 2 hours, others have taken up to 3 calendar days, depending on the amount. However, recent reports suggest a dramatic shift in processing times.
Over the last few days, users have been experiencing significantly shorter wait times, with some transactions taking as little as 1 or 2 minutes. Although neither Safaricom nor PayPal has confirmed this, a quick sampling of user reports confirms that this is indeed true.
While transactions involving smaller amounts have consistently taken under 2 hours, this new development guarantees processing times of under 2 hours, with some transactions taking as little as 1 minute. This is a significant improvement for users who rely on these services.
For planning purposes, it's essential to assume the worst-case scenario until this change is confirmed as standard. M-Pesa to PayPal top-ups can be done from the mySafaricom app, while PayPal to M-Pesa withdrawals can be initiated from the app and completed on PayPal's website.
