Safaricom to Transform M-Pesa with AI-Native, Cloud-Based Overhaul

Nairobi, Kenya – Safaricom has unveiled a bold new strategy to rebuild its flagship mobile money platform, M-Pesa, around an “AI-native, cloud-based” architecture. The announcement came on August 11, 2025, delivered by Felix K. Rop, Head of Financial Services Technology. The transformation is aimed at revolutionizing fraud detection, system monitoring, and scalability. 

Key Elements of the Overhaul

• AI-Powered Fraud Detection & Performance Monitoring

  The revamped system will utilize advanced machine learning to detect unusual transaction behaviors by comparing them against users’ historical patterns. It will also enable predictive monitoring to anticipate traffic surges and enhance reliability.

• Transition to Cloud-Native Architecture

  M‑Pesa will be rebuilt into a fully cloud-native structure, improving scalability, resilience, and adaptability for future digital finance demands.

• Massive Capacity Expansion

  The overhaul targets a significant increase in transactional throughput—from the current 4,000 transactions per second (TPS) to an ambitious 8,000 TPS by end of 2026, ensuring the platform stays ahead of growing demand.

• Upskilling for the AI Era

  Safaricom is investing in its workforce by mandating AI training for all staff and collaborating with global tech partners—including AWS, Google, and Huawei—to build internal AI capabilities.

Strategic Context

This shift to an AI-powered, cloud-based M‑Pesa builds upon earlier modernization efforts—like adopting Red Hat OpenShift—and aligns with Safaricom’s broader vision of M‑Pesa 2.0. The company is committing over $309 million annually to bolster capacity, security, interoperability, and resilience.

Summary Breakdown

Why This Matters

For a platform that processes billions daily, moving to an AI-native, cloud-first infrastructure is crucial—not only for operational stability and customer trust but also to maintain M-Pesa’s dominance amid rising competition. Robust fraud detection, near-zero downtime, and intelligent scaling capabilities position M-Pesa as a global fintech frontrunner.