M-PESA Africa's Managing Director, Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, is set to depart Safaricom in March 2026, marking the end of a remarkable journey. Lopokoiyit's leadership has been pivotal in transforming M-PESA into a leading fintech platform across Africa, serving over 60 million customers and 5 million businesses. His strategic vision has expanded the platform's capabilities, evolving from a simple money transfer service to a comprehensive ecosystem offering payments, savings, credit, and global payment solutions.
Lopokoiyit's journey with Safaricom began in 2011, where he played a crucial role in shaping the agent aggregator model, a concept now widely adopted in mobile money globally. His leadership has also fostered strategic partnerships with industry giants like Visa, Ant Financial, PayPal, Microsoft, and Huawei, enhancing M-PESA's international presence and positioning Africa as a hub for financial innovation.
The impact of his work is evident in the words of Donald Kipkorir, a lawyer, who praised Lopokoiyit's leadership, stating, 'His story of a Pokot boy leaving a village known for rustling cattle from my people, Marakwet, to bestride the financial sector in Kenya is a story of legends! As he closes one chapter & opens a new one, I wish my friend GODSPEED!'
