MTN is partnering with Ant International — the Chinese company behind Alipay — to turn MoMo into a “super app”. Think of a super app as one place where you can do many things at once: send money, buy things online, get loans, pay bills. Right now, MoMo is mainly for mobile money. Soon, it could do much more.
The rollout starts in Nigeria next quarter, but MTN operates in 14 African countries, including Ghana. If it works there, it could come here.
What changes for you?
Here’s what MTN plans to add to MoMo, based on what Ant International brings:
- Mini-apps inside MoMo. Small programs (like shopping apps or bill-payment tools) will live inside MoMo instead of you downloading 10 separate apps.
- Better fraud protection. Smarter systems to catch scams and protect your money.
- New ways for businesses to reach you. Traders and shops can engage with you directly through the app.
The goal is to make MoMo do what Alipay does in China — one app for almost everything financial.
Why is MTN doing this now?
MoMo is one of MTN’s biggest earners. Fintech currently accounts for nearly 13 per cent of MTN’s group revenue. The company wants to show investors that the MoMo business is powerful enough to stand alone as its own company someday.
Partnering with Ant International — the company that literally invented the super app model — signals to investors that MTN is serious and has world-class technology backing it.
Will this work in Africa?
Maybe. Vodacom in South Africa tried this in 2020 with Ant Group and launched VodaPay in 2021. It works, but it hasn’t become as massive as Alipay is in China.
Africa’s market is different. Data costs more here, phones are older, and people are already used to separate apps. But 67 million people already use MoMo across Africa. That’s a huge head start.
MTN hasn’t shared how much this partnership costs or whether Ant International is buying a stake in MoMo. More details should come when MTN holds its investor update this week.
What you should watch
Keep an eye on the Nigeria launch in the next few months. If the super app version of MoMo gains real traction there, a Ghana rollout becomes more likely. Check MTN’s announcements for a launch date here.
In the meantime, your current MoMo account doesn’t change. This is about what’s coming next.
Sources:
1. TechFocus24 – MTN to launch MoMo super app in partnership with Ant International
2. JBKlutse MoMo & Fintech archive
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