The new countries to be covered in the expansion are: South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
This was announced on Thursday October 27, during an event to launch a Vodacom M-Pesa campaign dubbed ‘Dunia Kijiji, Afrika ni M-Pesa’ which aims at promoting M-Pesa as the currency of transactions for Africa with all African countries able to send money to Vodacom M-Pesa.
Gracing the event in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Dr Stargomena Tax, exuded her delight on the fact that mobile money has become Africa’s leading digital payment platform connecting millions across the continent and facilitating international trade and remittances.
Through its IMT portfolio, Vodacom M-Pesa facilitates international remittances by connecting over 200 countries worldwide allowing Tanzanians to transact across borders.
“The entrant of mobile money in international remittance has not only improved ease of access but also reduced the cost of transfers bringing us closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 10). We applaud this growth in this space and commend Vodacom M-Pesa for paving the way,” said Dr Tax.
She applauded the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) for effectively regulating mobile money by working with telecom operators to ensure that international payments and remittances are done safely and securely. Sending to Sadc countries, she said, further testifies the enabling environment that the BoT was putting on top of enabling Tanzanians to receive remittances from across the World directly into their mobile wallets.
“This is financially connecting the diaspora to their families back home while international and inter-regional trade is made even easier with mobile money,” she said.
Speaking during the event, the M-Pesa director Epimack Mbeteni said the platform has leveraged on partnerships and innovation to grow its international money transfer portfolio.
It started in 2014 by connecting with Kenya, in 2019, it had expanded allowing M-Pesa customers to send money across East Africa and receive money from over 200 countries thus making a significant contribution on incoming money into the ecosystem and growth of M-Pesa. In September 2021, telecom added a new feature which enables Tanzanian customers to send remittances from M-Pesa to all bank accounts in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
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Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response
Addis Ababa, January 20, 2025</Strong> — Tanzania has declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of Northwestern Tanzania. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and monkeys. This outbreak marks the nation’s second encounter with the deadly virus, following the outbreak in Bukoba District of Kagera Region in March 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six deaths.
In response to this urgent threat, the Africa CDC is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the outbreak. A team of twelve public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, has engaged with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts and secure political commitment for the response.
“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Dr. Kaseya stated.
Africa CDC has recently supported efforts to enhance the diagnostic and sequencing capacity of public health laboratories in Tanzania. PCR Test kits and genomic sequencing reagents have been dispatched, with additional supplies in the pipeline. To ensure rapid identification and confirmation of cases, the institution will also provide technical assistance to strengthen detection and genome sequencing for better characterization of the pathogen. Additionally, support will be provided to improve case management protocols and enhance the capacity to deliver safe and effective treatment.
Africa CDC is committed to working closely with the Government of Tanzania, regional partners, international organizations, and global stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to stop the spread of the Marburg virus.
Source: allafrica.com
