• Mobile money transactions in Africa reached $1.43 trillion in 2025, up 27%
• Continent accounts for 66% of global transaction value and 74% of volume
• East and West Africa lead, while North and Southern Africa lag behind

Mobile money transactions in Africa reached about $1.43 trillion in 2025. This is a 27% increase from 2024, according to a report released on March 24 by the GSMA.

The State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2026 shows that Africa accounted for roughly 66% of the global value of mobile money transactions, which totaled $2.09 trillion, up 23% year-on-year.

The continent also represented about 74% of the total number of mobile money transactions worldwide, with around 92 billion transactions recorded in 2025, a 16% increase from 2024, out of a global total of 125 billion. Africa hosted 52% of all mobile money accounts globally, with about 1.2 billion accounts at the end of 2025, up 18% from the previous year, compared with 2.3 billion worldwide.

However, the report highlights significant disparities across regions. Africa has 187 active mobile money services, out of 347 globally.

Usage broadens across the continent

East Africa leads the market, with 537 million accounts and transaction volumes reaching $806 billion in 2025. West Africa follows with 517 million accounts and $498 billion in transaction value, ahead of Central Africa, which recorded 128 million accounts and $105 billion.

Mobile money remains less developed in North Africa, with 30 million accounts and $15 billion in transaction value, and in Southern Africa, with 33 million accounts and $8 billion. This is partly due to higher levels of banking penetration in those regions.

The GSMA also notes that usage is becoming more consistent, with the number of monthly active accounts rising 19% to 347 million, representing about 28% of all mobile money accounts in Africa.

Globally, mobile money use has expanded significantly in recent years. It now includes merchant payments ($155 billion in 2025), bill payments ($99 billion), cross-border remittances ($45 billion), and bulk disbursements—such as salaries and social transfers—totaling $139 billion.

Savings, insurance, and lending products are also increasingly offered by mobile money providers, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Walid Kéfi