DEVELOPMENT OF THE PRODUCT
After an incubation and development period by the partners, trials to prove that the MPESA
concept would work for microfinance organizations were launched in Kenya in November
2005. With eight agent shops recruited from Safaricom dealerships, MPESA trials took off in
Central Nairobi, in Mathare (a Nairobi slum) and in Thika (a market town an hour’s drive
from Nairobi). The trial involved 450 clients of Faulu Kenya.
The developed system was named MPESA, and it enabled the use of mobile phones to
transfer money between virtual accounts. The system allows customers to use mobile phones
like a debit card, with transactions being implemented through text messaging. The MPESA
solution was to allow users to make four basic types of money transfers:
• Transferring between individuals
• Transferring between individuals and businesses
Case Study • Vodafone & Safaricom: Extending Financial Services to the Poor in Rural Kenya 5
• Cash withdrawal and deposit at registered retail outlets
• Disbursement and repayment of loans
The system would also enable customers to access account information such as balances and
payments. After the pilot, the system evolved away from loan activities.