29 Jun Airbnb Good Example of eCommerce Expansion and Opportunity Created by Online Payment in Africa

Posted at 11:22h

Kenyan mobile money is on the up and up.  Kenyan mobile money volumes are at an annualised $30bn and growing.  Kenya is the top mobile money nation in the world and mobile money spend by its almost 30m mobile money subscribers grew $4bn last year.

M-Pesa with a market share of 90% is leading the market of the 7 mobile money providers.  M-Pesa is now linked as a payment method on African Payment Solutions for online payment by local Kenyan consumers buying international goods from overseas merchants.  

Companies like Airbnb (a world leader in hospitality) are talking to entrepreneurs about how to roll out their service more extensively to the African continent which they say is a big opportunity for them.  In the past twelve months they have doubled their volumes in Africa.

M-Pesa online can now be used by companies like Airbnb for booking and payment.  Many African countries like Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Mozambique and  Rwanda are linked for eCommerce and mCommerce payment and business expansion of multinationals.  Local consumers can now book and pay in their own country, currency and local payment method with their mobiles on the go.  

Airbnb executives met with local women entrepreneurs to understand the challenges of expanding to the African continent.  One of these challenges was payment which is now solved as a result of the bridge between African Payment Solutions payment gateway which brings hosted reliability to simple local payment methods – bridging the gap between developed world merchants and fast developing world consumers.  

Airbnb’s business is doubling and in Kenya for example they have more than 1,400 listings with Nairobi as the leader.  Businesses following Airbnb’s foray online into Africa can link to African Payment Solutions for getting paid online with M-Pesa by African consumers for eCommerce and mCommerce goods and services.

Our thanks for http://paymentsafrika.com/payment-news/general/airbnb-plans-to-expand-further-across-african-continent/ and http://mobilemoneyafrica.com/content.php?id=2299 for their content inspiration