Safaricom has rolled out a new feature on its M-PESA super app that allows Kenyan users to withdraw funds directly from PayPal, cutting out previous delays and offering freelancers faster access to their hard-earned money.
With this, Safaricom is focusing on the growing share of Kenya’s freelance economy, where over 1.5 million workers now earn in dollars, pounds, and euros. Most of them receive their wages via PayPal.
For years, they’ve had to endure slow, browser-based transfers or rely solely on Equity Bank’s instant withdrawal service. Now, there’s a quicker, app-based alternative in their pocket.
Integrated as a mini app within the M-PESA super app, the PayPal withdrawal service marks the first time users can access PayPal funds without needing to log in through external web portals.
What used to be a clunky, multi-step process now takes just minutes and a few taps. Transfers typically process within two hours, far quicker than the one-to-three-day delays experienced with many bank-linked options.
For those navigating global work from Kenya, especially writers, developers, designers, and transcribers, this is a game-changer. A typical freelancer in Kenya earns between KES 1,000–3,000 per hour for transcription or up to KES 10,000 per article.
With faster access to PayPal funds, managing liquidity and meeting local obligations becomes far easier.
The timing aligns with M-PESA’s role in Safaricom’s financial engine. In the year ending March 2025, mobile money revenue soared 15.2% to KES 161.1 billion ($1.25 billion).
That jump was largely driven by a 20.3% spike in chargeable transactions per user, now averaging nearly 38 per month. Meanwhile, active customers grew 10.5% to 35.82 million.
Safaricom is no longer just a telco; it’s building a comprehensive financial ecosystem. The PayPal integration joins an expanding list of app-based financial services, from government payments to SME tools like Pochi la Biashara.
Each service is tailored to a different income segment, but the target is the same; user retention and transaction growth.
To reiterate that goal, the app offers users real-time foreign exchange previews, biometric login for added security, and an in-app feedback system. Wallet limits have also been updated, users can now hold up to KES 500,000 ($3,875), with a daily transaction ceiling set to match.
Still, Equity Bank maintains a competitive edge when it comes to bulk withdrawals. It offers up to $10,000 per transaction, with no daily limits, and serves many high-volume sellers and cross-border e-commerce traders.
But for individual freelancers and micro-entrepreneurs, M-PESA’s in-app alternative is faster, easier, and doesn’t require a bank account.
We can’t ignore the role of global rivals either. Platforms like Wise and Payoneer have been gaining ground in Kenya, offering better exchange rates and fewer restrictions than PayPal.
But despite the alternatives, PayPal is still the most widely used gateway for digital freelancers, and this integration could help Safaricom capture more of that international money flow.
In the wider context, this could enhance inclusive digital finance in Kenya. As of December 2024, 84.8% of Kenyan households had access to mobile money. M-PESA alone processed KES 2.3 trillion ($17.83 billion) through its app in 2024.
Safaricom’s goal now is to lock in that top spot and this latest development shows it’s willing to build the tools freelancers and remote workers actually need.
