Africa drove $1.43 trillion in mobile money transactions in 2025 and accounts for 74% of all mobile money activity globally, per GSMA’s 2026 State of the Industry Report. Yet more than 74% of the continent’s 1.2 billion registered accounts remain dormant on a monthly basis. That active account rate — 25.7% — has been structurally flat for years, despite sustained investment in access, onboarding, and agent network expansion.

This session examines what actually drives transaction frequency in African payment markets — drawing on evidence from operators who have moved the active account rate, and the infrastructure, pricing, and product conditions that made it possible.