Safaricom Eyes Massive M-Pesa Upgrade: 8,000 Transactions per Second by 2026
M-Pesa, Kenya’s iconic mobile money platform, is gearing up for one of its biggest performance leaps yet. Safaricom has announced plans to double M-Pesa’s transaction handling capacity from 4,000 transactions per second today to an incredible 8,000 by the end of 2026.
This upgrade is more than just a technical milestone it’s a reflection of how deeply mobile money is woven into Kenya’s economy and daily life.
From Humble Beginnings to High-Speed Transactions
When M-Pesa launched in 2007, it revolutionized the way Kenyans sent and received money. Back in 2015, the system could process just 616 transactions per second. Fast forward to 2025, and it now powers 4,000 transactions per second a staggering sixfold increase in a decade.
Over the past year alone, M-Pesa processed 125 billion transactions, highlighting the growing demand for instant, reliable mobile payments.
1. Support for a Growing Digital Economy As more businesses, government services, and individuals adopt cashless payments, the demand for instant mobile transactions is surging.
2. Enhanced Reliability Doubling the capacity means fewer system slowdowns during peak hours like salary days or festive seasons.
3. Room for Innovation The extra capacity will enable M-Pesa to integrate more advanced services think micro-loans, e-commerce integrations, and cross-border payments without risking system congestion.
Kenya is already one of the world’s leaders in mobile money penetration. By expanding its technical backbone, Safaricom is positioning M-Pesa not just as a national asset, but as a scalable financial platform for the continent.
As we approach 2026, one thing is clear: M-Pesa isn’t just keeping up with Kenya’s digital transformation it’s driving it.
