On October 19, 2026, Mastercard and Moovn Technologies announced a five-year strategic agreement to expand secure digital payments across East Africa. The partnership combines Mastercard's global payments network with MoovnPay's integrated digital wallet ecosystem to better serve people and businesses. It targets Moovn's mobility, logistics, e-commerce, and merchant platforms, giving everyday riders, drivers, merchants, SMEs, and other users more ways to pay, get paid, and move money.
Payment Capabilities Under the Agreement
Through the agreement, MoovnPay gains access to virtual and physical prepaid Mastercard cards, tokenization, online and in-app payment acceptance via Mastercard Payment Gateway Services, Pay Local, peer-to-peer transfers, and eligible cross-border remittances. These capabilities will be embedded across Moovn's existing mobility, logistics, e-commerce, and merchant platforms. The goal is to support everyday transactions for consumers, drivers, merchants, and small businesses across the wider region.
Regional Digital Payment Momentum
The announcement comes as digital payments become increasingly central to Africa's rapid economic growth. A Mastercard-commissioned report by Genesis Analytics projects Africa's digital payments economy to reach US$1.5 trillion by 2030. Kenya's SME sector shows this momentum, with 95% of Kenyan SMEs accepting mobile payments and 80% prioritizing simple, seamless, and user-friendly payment methods, while Africa's 36 instant payment systems across 31 countries also processed over 64 billion transactions worth close to US$2 trillion in 2024.
Executive Views
Shehryar Ali, senior vice president and country manager for East Africa at Mastercard, said payments are increasingly woven into the platforms people use every day to travel, work, and trade. He noted that Mastercard's global network and secure technology will help extend Moovn's ecosystem reach. Godwin Gabriel, founder and group chief executive of Moovn Technologies, said the collaboration creates an integrated global financial and lifestyle ecosystem that can unlock access, convenience, and opportunity across Africa.
Wallet, Pay Local, and Cross-Border Services
MoovnPay and Shooga, Moovn's financial inclusion solution, will sit at the center of the experience, giving users access to Mastercard prepaid cards within a single digital wallet. As Pay Local expands across Kenya and Tanzania, participating merchants will be able to accept payments directly from MoovnPay users. Through Mastercard Move, eligible users will also be able to access more ways to send and receive money across borders, extending MoovnPay's value beyond mobility and commerce.
From Start Path to Commercial Rollout
The collaboration builds on the relationship formed through Mastercard Start Path's Emerging Fintech program, where MoovnPay was selected as one of 11 fintechs in September 2025. The companies have moved from early engagement into commercial rollout, including Moovn's launch of Mastercard Payment Gateway Services in Kenya. The next phase will focus on launching the Shooga prepaid Mastercard portfolio, advancing Pay Local in Kenya and Tanzania, and expanding Mastercard Payment Gateway, tokenization, and wallet capabilities as Moovn scales across the region.
The move reflects Mastercard's collaboration-led approach to accelerating digital financial transformation across Africa. By bringing card issuance, digital payments, merchant acceptance, wallet services, peer-to-peer transfers, and cross-border money movement together in a single platform, Mastercard and Moovn are building a scalable model for wallet-led growth. The partnership is expected to support broader financial inclusion and digital participation across East Africa and other African markets.