Xsolla, a global video game commerce company focused on helping developers launch, grow, and monetise games, has expanded its Airtel Mobile Money payment coverage to include Tanzania and Madagascar.
The move builds on Xsolla’s existing Airtel Mobile Money integrations across Africa and aims to support secure, mobile-first checkout experiences for players in two fast-growing digital economies. By enabling localised payment methods, Xsolla continues to address one of the primary barriers to game monetisation in emerging markets: access to trusted and convenient payment options.
Mobile money adoption and market data in Tanzania and Madagascar
Mobile money plays a central role in the African digital economy, with approximately 1.1 billion accounts in Sub-Saharan Africa, and USD 1.1 trillion in transaction value in 2024, according to GSMA data. Tanzania is one of Africa’s most mature mobile money markets, with 55.8 million active mobile money accounts by the end of 2023, representing more than 80 % of the population having at least one mobile money account. Madagascar’s mobile money ecosystem has also expanded significantly in recent years, surpassing 10 million mobile money accounts and facilitating hundreds of millions of transactions worth billions of dollars.
Both countries have young, digitally engaged populations. Tanzania has a median age of approximately 18 years and 79.0 million mobile connections at the start of 2025, while Madagascar’s population exceeds 30 million, with increasing access to affordable mobile data. These demographic trends align closely with mobile gaming growth, as players rely on smartphones as their primary gaming platform and prefer payment methods that do not require traditional banking infrastructure.
Airtel Mobile Money for game developers and players
The integration of Airtel Mobile Money allows players in Tanzania and Madagascar to complete game purchases using only a mobile number, either through the Airtel app or USSD-based flows. Payments are confirmed in real time, reducing failed transactions and checkout abandonment. The card-free nature of mobile money removes friction for users without access to credit or debit cards, which remains a significant portion of the population in both markets.
For developers, Airtel Mobile Money provides access to millions of active users on a trusted local network. Airtel operates in more than 14 African countries and serves over 150 million. This reach supports broader audience expansion, higher conversion rates, and improved lifetime value in mobile-first regions.
