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UnionPay and Pesapal: A New Era of Payments and Tourism in East Africa

UnionPay International has recently announced its strategic alliance with Pesapal, a prominent payment service provider in Africa, with the goal of enhancing the acceptance of UnionPay cards across the region. This collaboration, commencing in Tanzania and set to extend to Rwanda, aims to simplify the payment process for international travelers while providing local businesses the opportunity to expand their customer base.

As Tanzania becomes the primary market for this initiative, a swift rollout of UnionPay acceptance will occur primarily in sectors that are crucial to tourism, such as hospitality, retail, restaurants, and transport. By enabling UnionPay's infrastructure, local merchants will be able to offer seamless payment solutions using both traditional methods and contactless technologies like tap-to-pay.

This joint effort will immediately boost UnionPay's acceptance presence by integrating more than 3,000 merchant locations across Tanzania and Rwanda. This not only elevates UnionPay's status but also significantly strengthens the payment landscape for hospitality, retail, tourism, and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in these rapidly growing economies.

The timing of this partnership cannot be emphasized enough, as East Africa has seen a notable increase in Chinese tourism and a progressive strengthening of commercial ties between the two regions. By embedding UnionPay's services within Pesapal's EMV-compliant POS architecture, local merchants are positioned to leverage the burgeoning China-Africa trade corridor. This ensures international travelers, particularly high-value customers, experience minimal transaction barriers, thereby facilitating a smoother cross-border commerce and boosting local revenue.

Bupe Mwakalundwa, Country Manager at Pesapal Tanzania, highlighted that tourism and cross-border commerce are vital for driving economic growth in East Africa. She expressed, "By enabling UnionPay POS acceptance across our merchant network, we equip local businesses with the modern financial infrastructure essential for catering to international travelers, allowing them to flourish in the digital global economy."

On the other side, Feng Chen, General Manager of UnionPay International for the Africa Region, reiterated the company's commitment to expanding payment acceptance channels across Africa's pivotal tourism and commercial hubs. With the partnership with Pesapal, merchants in both Tanzania and Rwanda can now offer international visitors a more trusted and secure payment environment, ultimately amplifying access to global consumer spending.

About UnionPay International

UnionPay International (UPI) is dedicated to expanding the global acceptance network of UnionPay cards. Currently, these cards are recognized in 183 countries and regions, covering 51 African nations. UPI aims to provide secure, efficient, and cost-effective cross-border payment solutions while ensuring that local merchants also gain access to convenient services.

About Pesapal

Pesapal entities operate within various African markets, streamlining financial transactions and enhancing how businesses manage their operations. Offering secure payments, access to financing, and versatile business tools, Pesapal is a vital infrastructure partner behind commerce for many businesses in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Zambia. With solutions tailored for the realities of the African market, Pesapal is poised to drive sustainable growth among local enterprises.

In conclusion, the partnership between UnionPay International and Pesapal promises to usher in a new phase for tourism and commerce in East Africa. As more international travelers discover the region, the ability to utilize globally recognized payment methods like UnionPay will be pivotal in fostering a more accessible and flourishing economic environment.