Business

Visa, MasterCard Moving Into Mobile Pay in Africa

Published

11 years ago

March 4, 2015

This Nov. 18, 2009 file photo shows credit and bank cards with electronic chips in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)

KEN SWEET, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans may just be getting used to mobile pay, but consumers in many African countries have been paying with their phones for years. Now payment processors Visa and MasterCard want to get a slice of that market, and are launching card services aimed at Africa’s growing mobile payment industry.

VISA CARD WITH A CELL PHONE

Visa is partnering with African telecommunications company Bharti Airtel to link Visa cards to customers’ mobile phones. While many Africans do not have bank accounts, most have a cell phone — sometimes more than one. Gallup estimates that 80 percent of sub-Saharan African households have a cell phone, while only 2 percent have a landline.

For the past several years, Africans have been using linking their phones to prepaid payment accounts, in order to send money to each other, pay utility bills or buy more airtime.

Now Airtel Money subscribers in Kenya will be able to get a physical Visa card tied to their mobile payment accounts, so they can use their phone’s pre-paid account to shop in stores and online wherever Visa is accepted. They can also use the Visa card at the ATM to withdraw money from their Airtel Money account. Users will enter a PIN number into their phones each time they want to approve a transaction, said Bill Gajda, a Visa executive who works with mobile network operators.

As smartphones become more common on the continent, Apple Pay-like services are likely to be introduced as well, he said.

The service will be expanded to Gabon, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda, Seychelles and Tanzania later this year.

EVERY EGYPTIAN TO GET A MASTERCARD

MasterCard announced a partnership with the Egyptian Government this week that will eventually attach a MasterCard to every Egyptian’s national identification card.

In Egypt, there are more cell phones than people. Mobile penetration in the country was 113 percent in 2012, according to the Egyptian Ministry of Communication. Like their sub-Saharan counterparts, a growing number of Egyptians use their cellphones as mobile payment accounts. Less than 5 percent of Egypt’s 54 million citizens have a formal bank account, according to the World Bank.

As part of the agreement with MasterCard, the government will issue digital ID cards which can be used to pay for services including government fees, mobile bills, and items in stores. It will pay salaries and social benefits through the card as well. Each Egyptian will be able to link that mobile payment account to a MasterCard number that will eventually be displayed on the ID.

MasterCard did not have a timetable for when the service will be introduced, and the company said the privacy issues related to having a national ID attached to a credit card number will still need to be resolved.

MasterCard also said it is doing mobile pay deals in Zimbabwe and Nigeria to allow certain banking customers in those countries to receive funds sent by family and friends abroad directly into mobile pay accounts. Those with companion MasterCard debit cards can then withdraw money at ATMs and pay for goods and services anywhere MasterCard is accepted.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Related Topics:Mastercard mobile payments visa

Up Next

Fed Regulation of Wall Street Banks Shifts to Washington

Don't Miss

Frigid Cold Hurts US Auto Sales in February

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 1 – 7, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

July 5, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Arts and Culture

Prescott Circus Theatre Presents Free Summer Performance Series

Now in its 41st year, the Prescott Circus Theatre is a nationally recognized performing arts education program for Oakland youth. The circus offers safe environments that challenge Oakland youth, through circus arts training, to develop the skills and confidence to thrive on stage, in school, and in life.

Published

1 week ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Prescott Circus showcase pathways pyramid. Photo courtesy of Prescott Circus.

By Post Staff

The Prescott Circus, Oakland’s longest-running youth circus, is returning this summer with its free shows. Join the Prescott Circus’s young stars as they share their joys and talents through stilt-dancing, tumbling, juggling, and more.

At the heart of this one-hour show, which demonstrates teamwork, pride, and joy, are Oakland Unified School District students ages 8 – 17 from more than 10 different schools

This is accomplished through no-cost school and community programs for more than 300 Oakland youth each year. Performing company members from Prescott, where the program began, perform and make appearances at as many as 40 Bay Area events each year.

The summer program is funded in part by Oakland Fund for Children and Youth, California Arts Council, Port of Oakland, and the West Davis & Bergard Foundation.

Performances will be held Tuesday, July 14, 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (ASL interpreted) and Wednesday, July 15, 11 a.m., at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, 1428 Alice St., Oakland. For free reservations go to

https://PrescottCircusSummerShows.eventbrite.com

For group reservations for camps, childcare centers, senior centers, go to www.prescottcircus.org

A community show will be held Saturday, July 18, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., at DeFremery Park,1651 Adeline St., Oakland.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

NPRC Joins National Grand Jury Proceedings Seeking Accountability, Constitutional Restoration

Organizers state that testimony will explore historical and political developments that they believe have contributed to the expansion of corporate influence over public institutions and governmental decision-making. Participants are expected to discuss concerns regarding constitutional governance, individual liberties, property rights, and the protection of vulnerable populations, including seniors and persons with disabilities.

Published

1 week ago

June 26, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo by Billie Powers.

Special to The Post

The National Probate Reform Coalition (NPRC) has joined Toll and Roll and a growing coalition of advocacy organizations, victims, whistleblowers, and citizen groups in support of a nationally broadcast People’s Grand Jury proceeding scheduled for July 1 and July 7.

Organizers describe the event as a public forum designed to examine allegations of government abuse, judicial misconduct, legislative failures, and the erosion of constitutional protections affecting millions of Americans.

The proceedings will feature testimony from victims, families, advocates, and organizations from across the country who contend they have experienced harm through government actions, institutional neglect, and failures of oversight.

According to organizers, the People’s Grand Jury will focus on concerns involving probate courts, guardianships, conservatorships, child welfare systems, property rights, civil liberties, and what participants view as a growing disconnect between government institutions and the constitutional rights of the people they are sworn to serve.

NPRC is participating because many of the issues being examined mirror the concerns raised by advocates, victims, and families who have participated in its monthly town halls. For years, families have reported cases involving exploitation of elders, questionable guardianships, estate depletion, denial of due process, and a lack of meaningful oversight within probate court systems.

“This proceeding gives victims and advocates an opportunity to place their experiences on the public record,” said Tanya Dennis, lead facilitator of NPRC. “For too long, families have struggled to have their voices heard regarding elder abuse, probate exploitation, and government inaction. This forum allows those stories to be shared before a national audience.”

In keeping with principles of transparency and fairness, invitations have been extended to legislators, members of the judiciary, law enforcement representatives, and other public officials who may wish to respond to concerns raised during the proceedings or defend actions taken by their respective institutions.

One of the primary outcomes sought by organizers is public consideration and support for the People’s Remedy and Restoration Act, a proposed legislative framework that advocates believe would strengthen oversight, increase accountability, provide remedies for victims of governmental abuse, and restore constitutional protections.

The proceedings are expected to be broadcast nationally, providing citizens throughout the United States an opportunity to observe testimony, review evidence presented, and participate in an ongoing conversation regarding government accountability and the protection of individual rights.

Advocates hope the hearings will encourage meaningful dialogue, legislative reform, and renewed public engagement in the democratic process.

Individuals, organizations, public officials, and members of the media interested in attending or obtaining access information may contact the organizers at tollandroll2025@gmail.com.

As Americans continue to debate the future of constitutional governance, judicial accountability, and the protection of vulnerable citizens, the July proceedings are expected to serve as a significant forum for public testimony and civic engagement. For more information, go to https://tollandroll.com