Some 4.1 million Vodacom customers in Tanzania will soon be able to use their mobile phones to send money home and to loved-ones safely and securely with the leading network operator’s new Vodafone M-PESA service. Vodacom plans to launch the service at the end of April 2008.

Vodacom Group is a joint venture between Vodafone and Telkom South Africa. The launch of Vodafone M-PESA in Tanzania will see Vodafone’s award-winning mobile money transfer service available in a second African market. Vodafone M-PESA was originally developed and deployed by Vodafone in Kenya, where the service has now been running for over one year, with more than 1.6 million active customers. In February 2008, Vodafone launched the service in a second market, Afghanistan in partnership with the Afghani operator Roshan.

Vodafone M-PESA is available only to Vodacom customers, who have to provide their mobile phone number and identification at an M-PESA agent, which will include Vodacom airtime dealers and selected petrol stations, post offices, banks or supermarkets. Both pre-paid and post-paid Vodacom customers will be able to open a Vodafone M-PESA account at no cost.