ARTICLE
30 July 2026

East Africa And Tunisia Push Mobile Money Towards Interoperability

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Adams & Adams

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Adams & AdamsĀ is an internationally recognised and leading African law firm that specialises in providing intellectual property and commercial services.
Africa's mobile money market is entering a new phase of regional integration, with payment rails becoming increasingly central to commerce and platform growth. Major developments include Vodacom Tanzania's partnership with Thunes for real-time international payments, MTN Rwanda's strong mobile money earnings, and Tunisia's launch of TUNPAY to unify mobile payment systems nationwide. These shifts mark a transition from domestic mobile wallet adoption to a more interoperable regional payment architecture that
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Africa’s mobile money market entered a new integration phase during the second quarter, with payment rails becoming increasingly central to regional commerce and platform growth. Vodacom Tanzania partnered with Thunes to enable real-time international payments through M-Pesa, strengthening links between mobile wallets and cross-border remittances. MTN Rwanda’s earnings reinforced the commercial value of mobile money, while Tunisia launched TUNPAY to unify mobile payment systems nationwide and create a coordinated payment identity and acceptance layer. South Sudan’s central bank also discussed a regional cross-border payment system with FSD Africa, signalling broader institutional momentum across East Africa. Vodacom’s acquisition of additional Safaricom shares gave it control of one of Africa’s leading telecoms and fintech platforms, reinforcing East Africa’s role as a key scale market for mobile wallet-led services and digital ecosystems. These developments marked a shift from domestic mobile wallet adoption to a more interoperable regional payment architecture, rewarding institutions that can scale securely across multiple regulatory environments.

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