This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On December 18, 2019, Vodacom Tanzania announced a partnership with digital money transfer company WorldRemit to enable its 10 million Mpesa users to receive money directly to their e-wallets from friends and family abroad.
According to Epimack Mbeteni, Vodacom Tanzania M-Pesa Director, this partnership offers an easier and cheaper alternative to receiving cash from abroad by cutting the transaction process, meaning families receive more of the money straight into their M-Pesa wallets.
WorldRemit connects over 160 million accounts across 29 countries and offers various services in Tanzania, including mobile money, bank transfer, cash pickup, and mobile airtime top-up.
WorldRemit's Regional Director for East and Central Africa, Sharon Kinyanjui, applauded the move, stating that it reduces sending charges and that the launch of the MPESA and WorldRemit partnership will reduce the sending fees for countries like the US, UK, Sweden, and South Africa because all transactions are digital.
World Bank reports indicate that African immigrants remitted $38 billion back home in 2017 and estimated $39.6 billion in 2019.
