Grace Ashiru
African financial technology company PawaPay has obtained a Payment Service Provider licence from the Bank of Mozambique, allowing the business to expand its mobile money operations and begin onboarding merchants directly.
The regulatory approval was granted through its local subsidiary, Quidexplus Mozambique, strengthening the company’s position in a market where mobile money services are widely used.
The licence will enable PawaPay to support businesses collecting payments and distributing funds through Mozambique’s mobile money networks.
Merchant onboarding is expected to begin shortly, while discussions are continuing with mobile money operators and international remittance companies regarding further service expansion.
PawaPay is already engaging with providers including M-Pesa and e-Mola to improve payment processing and inbound remittance capabilities.
Mozambique represents an important market for the company because of the growing number of people using mobile wallets.
According to figures cited in the report, the country had approximately 25.4 million mobile money accounts by the end of 2025, compared with significantly fewer traditional bank accounts.
Major providers include Vodacom’s M-Pesa, Movitel’s e-Mola and Tmcel’s mKesh.
PawaPay’s technology allows businesses to connect with multiple mobile money operators through a single application programming interface, reducing the need for separate technical integrations.
The company says it has processed more than three billion transactions and is handling approximately seven million transactions daily across 23 African markets.
Its Mozambique operations currently support M-Pesa payment collections and e-Mola disbursements, although some additional collection services remain unavailable.
The regulatory approval follows wider reforms to Mozambique’s financial infrastructure.
In February 2026, the Bank of Mozambique established an instant payment system to facilitate continuous electronic retail transactions.
The country also introduced Law No. 15/2026 in July, replacing legislation dating from 2008 and strengthening regulatory oversight of payment systems.
PawaPay has continued expanding its presence elsewhere in Africa.
In September 2026, its Kenyan subsidiary received approval from the Central Bank of Kenya to provide payment gateway services to merchants.
The Mozambique licence represents another step in the company’s efforts to establish a broader digital payment network across the continent.
It could also support local businesses seeking more convenient ways to receive payments, manage transactions and participate in regional commercial activity.
