Safaricom has opened up its M-PESA platform to allow local and international developers to come up with next-generation applications that will work with the most preferred mobile money solution.
By availing M-PESA’s Application Programming Interface (API), Safaricom is fulfilling a promise made during the commissioning of the new M-PESA technological platform in April this year.
“One of the advantages of the new M-PESA platform is the fact that it is easier to integrate with other financial platforms to offer more or improved services to our customers,” said Betty Mwangi, Director- Financial Services, Safaricom.
It addresses one of the major shortcomings cited by local with the previous M-PESA platform, which was located in Germany. It was also a relatively slow and complicated process given the need for approvals here and from the team manning the servers.
The developers are expected to come up with innovative solutions for Business to Consumer, Consumer to Business, and Business to Business channels, that can run off the new M-PESA platform.
Ms. Mwangi said, “As we have always said, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We do however accept that innovation cannot come from us alone- it takes partnerships to come up with some of the best possible solutions that will help Transform Lives.”
The opening up of M-PESA API’s complements other recent initiatives aimed at boosting M-PESA transactions and entrenching a Cash Lite economy through Lipa Na M-PESA which is an e-commerce platform.
