Mastercard, Moovn Sign 5-Year Digital Payments Deal

Mastercard and Moovn Technologies have signed a five-year agreement to expand digital payment services across East Africa, integrating Mastercard’s payment network with MoovnPay’s digital wallet and its mobility, logistics and commerce platforms.

The agreement will enable MoovnPay to offer virtual and physical prepaid Mastercard cards, online and in-app payments, peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers and eligible cross-border remittances. It will also introduce tokenisation technology, which replaces sensitive card details with digital tokens to help protect payment information during transactions.

The companies will also expand the use of Mastercard Payment Gateway Services (MPGS), which supports online payment acceptance, and Pay Local, a service that allows participating merchants to accept payments from MoovnPay users. The companies plan to expand Pay Local across Kenya and Tanzania.

The integration is intended to allow users to access several payment services through MoovnPay’s wallet, including prepaid cards and money transfers, while enabling drivers, merchants and small businesses to receive payments through the platforms they already use.

The deal comes as digital payments become a more prominent part of commerce across Africa. A Mastercard-commissioned report by Genesis Analytics projects that the continent’s digital payments economy could reach US$1.5 trillion by 2030.

In Kenya, Mastercard’s 2026 SME Confidence Index found that 95% of small and medium-sized enterprises accept mobile payments, while 80% identified simple and user-friendly payment methods as a key requirement for future growth.

The wider payments infrastructure is also expanding. AfricaNenda Foundation’s SIIPS 2025 report found that the continent had 36 live instant payment systems across 31 countries, which processed more than 64 billion transactions worth nearly US$2 trillion in 2024.

“Payments are increasingly woven into the platforms people use every day to travel, work and trade. Moovn has built an ecosystem that brings mobility, commerce and financial services together, and Mastercard’s global network and secure technology will help extend its reach. Together, we are opening new pathways into the digital economy for consumers, drivers, merchants and small businesses across East Africa and beyond,” said Shehryar Ali, senior vice president and country manager, East Africa, Mastercard.

MoovnPay and Shooga, Moovn’s financial inclusion service for peer-to-peer payments, fundraising and donations, will form the core of the integration. Users will be able to access Mastercard prepaid cards through the digital wallet, while eligible customers will gain access to cross-border money transfers through Mastercard Move.

The companies have not detailed the full rollout schedule or the markets in which every service will initially be available. However, the next phase will include the launch of Shooga’s prepaid Mastercard portfolio, expansion of Pay Local in Kenya and Tanzania, and further development of MPGS, tokenisation and wallet services.

“Our collaboration with Mastercard is about building more than a payment product. By connecting MoovnPay, Shooga and our mobility, logistics and commerce platforms to trusted global payment capabilities, we are creating an integrated financial and lifestyle ecosystem where participation and trust can unlock greater access, convenience and opportunity for consumers, drivers, merchants and small businesses across Africa,” said Godwin Gabriel, founder and group chief executive, Moovn Technologies.

The agreement builds on MoovnPay’s participation in Mastercard Start Path’s Emerging Fintech programme, which selected the company as one of 11 fintechs in September 2025. The companies have since progressed to commercial integration, including Moovn’s launch of Mastercard Payment Gateway Services in Kenya.

The expanded partnership brings card issuance, wallet payments, merchant acceptance and cross-border transfers into Moovn’s broader platform. Its reach will depend on the rollout of individual services, merchant participation and the availability of cross-border payment options in eligible markets.