Quick Verdict
- Best developer experience: M-Pesa Daraja API (best docs, fastest sandbox)
- Best for Uganda: MTN MoMo Open API (60%+ market share)
- Best for Tanzania: Vodacom M-Pesa + Tigo Pesa (combined 70%+)
- Best aggregator shortcut: Flutterwave (covers all three)
- Lowest merchant fees: M-Pesa Paybill (0% for business)
If you're building an app for East Africa, mobile money integration isn't optional — it's essential. Over 80% of digital payments in the region go through mobile money. But each platform has different APIs, fee structures, and quirks. Here's what developers need to know.
Platform Overview
| Feature | M-Pesa (Safaricom) | MTN MoMo | Tigo Pesa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Market | Kenya (96% share) | Uganda (60%+ share) | Tanzania (30% share) |
| API Name | Daraja 2.0 | MoMo Open API | Tigo Pesa Open API |
| Users | 50M+ (Kenya) | 17M+ (Uganda) | 13M+ (Tanzania) |
| Monthly Transactions | $50B+ (Kenya) | $4B+ (Uganda) | $1B+ (Tanzania) |
| Developer Portal | developer.safaricom.co.ke | momodeveloper.mtn.com | Via MFS Africa / Tigo Business |
| Sandbox | Best Free, instant | Free, requires approval | Limited, partner-based |
Safaricom M-Pesa (Daraja API)
M-Pesa Daraja API
Market: Kenya (also Tanzania via Vodacom M-Pesa — different API)
Transaction Types
- C2B (Customer to Business): Customer pays your Paybill/Till — 0% merchant fee
- STK Push (Lipa na M-Pesa Online): Trigger payment prompt on customer's phone — best UX
- B2C (Business to Customer): Send money to customer's M-Pesa — KSh 16-45/txn
- B2B (Business to Business): Transfer between business accounts
- Transaction Status Query: Check payment status
- Account Balance: Check your M-Pesa account balance
- Reversal: Reverse erroneous transactions
Developer Experience
- Sandbox: Free, instant access at developer.safaricom.co.ke
- Documentation: Comprehensive with code examples (Node.js, Python, PHP)
- Authentication: OAuth 2.0 with consumer key/secret
- Callbacks: Webhook-based (you provide callback URLs)
- Go-live: Requires business registration + KRA PIN. Approval in 3-7 business days
Verdict: Best API in East Africa. Excellent docs, fast sandbox, and STK Push is a game-changer for UX. Read our full M-Pesa integration guide.
MTN Mobile Money (MoMo Open API)
MTN MoMo Open API
Market: Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast (14 African countries)
Transaction Types
- Collections: Request payment from customer's MoMo wallet — 0.5-2%/txn
- Disbursements: Send money to customer's MoMo — UGX 500-2,000/txn
- Transfers: Move money between your MoMo accounts
- Account Balance / Status: Query balance and transaction status
Developer Experience
- Sandbox: Free at momodeveloper.mtn.com — requires account creation and API product subscription
- Documentation: Good but less detailed than Daraja. Swagger/OpenAPI specs available
- Authentication: OAuth 2.0 + API key + subscription key
- Callbacks: Webhook-based with polling option
- Go-live: Requires MTN partner registration. Approval can take 2-4 weeks
Verdict: Essential for Uganda. API is functional but docs could be better. No STK Push equivalent — collections require customer approval on their phone via a push notification. See our MTN MoMo integration guide.
Tigo Pesa (Tanzania)
Tigo Pesa Open API
Market: Tanzania (now part of Axian Group after Tigo/Airtel merge)
Transaction Types
- C2B: Customer payment to merchant — 0.5-1.5%/txn
- B2C: Disbursement to customer — TZS 300-1,500/txn
- Status Query: Transaction lookup
Developer Experience
- Sandbox: Limited — often requires partner relationship or aggregator
- Documentation: Less comprehensive than M-Pesa or MoMo
- Authentication: API key based
- Go-live: Through Tigo Business team or MFS Africa partner
Verdict: Needed for Tanzania coverage. Most developers integrate via aggregators (Flutterwave, Selcom) rather than directly. Pair with Vodacom M-Pesa Tanzania for full Tanzania coverage.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Criteria | M-Pesa Daraja | MTN MoMo | Tigo Pesa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documentation | Best 9/10 | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Sandbox | Best Instant | Requires approval | Limited |
| Go-live Speed | 3-7 days | 2-4 weeks | 2-6 weeks |
| STK Push (Best UX) | Yes | No (push notification) | No |
| Merchant Fees | 0% C2B | 0.5-2% | 0.5-1.5% |
| Settlement Speed | Real-time to next day | Same day to T+1 | T+1 to T+3 |
| Multi-country | Kenya (+ Vodacom TZ) | 14 African countries | Tanzania only |
| Error Handling | Clear error codes | Moderate | Basic |
When to Use Aggregators Instead
If you're building for multiple countries and don't want to manage 3+ direct integrations, payment aggregators handle the complexity:
- Flutterwave: Best multi-country coverage. M-Pesa + MoMo + Tigo + cards. 1.4-3.8% fee
- DPO (Network International): Strong in tourism. Cards + M-Pesa + MoMo. 2.5-3.5% fee
- Pesapal: Kenya + Uganda focused. M-Pesa + MoMo + cards. 2-3.5% fee
- Selcom: Tanzania specialist. Vodacom M-Pesa + Tigo Pesa + Airtel. 1-2% fee
For a full analysis, see our payment gateway comparison.
Our Recommendation
- Kenya-only app: Direct M-Pesa Daraja integration. No aggregator needed
- Uganda-only app: Direct MTN MoMo API + Airtel Money for full coverage
- Tanzania-only app: Use Selcom or direct Vodacom M-Pesa + Tigo Pesa
- Multi-country (Kenya + Uganda + Tanzania): Direct M-Pesa (Kenya) + Flutterwave (Uganda + Tanzania). Saves time while keeping lowest fees for your biggest market
Frequently Asked Questions
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