Safaricom launches M-Pesa mobile money service in Ethiopia

FILE PHOTO: A customer displays the package of a Safaricom Ethiopia sim card during the service launch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 6, 2022. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Safaricom's M-Pesa mobile money service went live in Ethiopia on Wednesday, in a boost to the Kenyan telecoms operator as it seeks to kickstart growth in one of Africa's biggest economies.

Safaricom, which is part owned by South Africa’s Vodacom and Britain’s Vodafone, launched its voice and data network in the Horn of Africa country last year and has signed up more than 2 million active users.