Vodafone, Safaricom and The Western Union Company are partnering to pilot a cross-border Mobile Money Transfer (MMT) service between the UK and Kenya. The service will enable customers to send cross-border remittances from select locations directly to Safaricom mobile subscribers in Kenya, generally in minutes.
The initiative uses Western Unions trusted global hub for processing cross-border remittances. It builds on the success of M-PESA, a mobile money transfer service in Kenya offered by Vodafone and sister company Safaricom, which has attracted over 4 million customers since its launch in March 2007.
The pilot will take place through a select number of Western Union agents based in Reading, Berkshire. Consumers can send funds to any Safaricom mobile subscriber in Kenya in a matter of minutes. Receivers can use their funds in a variety of ways, including visiting one of 4,000 M-PESA agents in Kenya to withdraw their cash, or forwarding it on to another mobile phone in Kenya.
The successful take-up of M-PESA in Kenya has clearly demonstrated the demand for easily accessible, secure cash payment services in emerging markets, says Nick Hughes, Vodafones Head of International Mobile Payments. Our partnership with Western Union allows M-PESA subscribers to receive international remittances, and builds on the demand we have already seen domestically in Kenya.
The companies note that there are many benefits of using mobile phones for micro-transactions in a country like Kenya, where few people have bank accounts, but over 10 million people have mobile phones. Furthermore, increased global migration has led to a significant increase in the flow of funds from expatriate migrant workers who send money home. According to The World Bank, Kenya received approximately $1.3 billion in international remittances last year. 
Western Union, together with brands Orlandi Valuta and Vigo, has a combined network of more than 365,000 Agent locations worldwide in 200 countries and territories. Vodafone is the worlds largest mobile operator by revenue and has recently expanded the M-PESA service to Tanzania and Afghanistan. Safaricom is Kenyas leading mobile operator.