Clients of Awash Insurance will now be able to pay their premium dues and conduct other insurance-related transactions through Safaricom’s M-Pesa mobile money platform, as the two announce a strategic partnership.

“This partnership presents a great opportunity for us to collaborate with Awash Insurance, a well-respected player in Ethiopia’s insurance sector. By integrating M-Pesa’s secure platform into the operations of Awash Insurance, we are simplifying the way businesses and customers interact, making mobile payments more accessible, efficient, and time-saving for everyone. We are confident this partnership will enable Awash Insurance to offer its customers a seamless experience for making insurance payments and streamline its operations by leveraging M-PESA’s mobile payment solutions,” said Elsa Muzollini, CEO of Safaricom M-Pesa.

Jibat Faji, CEO of Awash Insurance, the country’s leading private insurer, said the partnership would make insurance services more accessible, efficient, and convenient for the firm’s clients.

“Together, we are not just improving transactions; we are also contributing to the realization of Digital Ethiopia by fostering innovation and empowering our customers with the tools to secure their futures in a digitally connected world,” reads a statement from Jibat.

The partnership is a major milestone for Safaricom’s venture into the Ethiopian market and represents a step up to its chief competitor in the mobile money industry: Ethio telecom’s Telebirr.

M-Pesa went live in Ethiopia in August 2023, more than 15 years after it was first introduced to the Kenyan market.