More than half (53%) of the adult population in emerging markets will use mobile money services by 2030; expected to gain more than 370 million additional users from 2026.
Research from Juniper Research has identified the rising adoption of open platforms and APIs as being key to enabling interoperability. These changes allow providers to integrate seamlessly with key partners such as banks, financial institutions and fintechs; unlocking new use cases such as mobile microloans, microinsurance, savings, and Buy Now, Pay Later schemes.
Jawad Jahan, Research Analyst at Juniper Research, explains: “The industry-wide push towards expanding interoperability between mobile money platforms is enabling growth and improving financial inclusion for low-and-middle income population groups. Advancements in the technology layer are allowing vendors to expand beyond siloed systems, and integrate into the wider financial ecosystem; driving mobile money from basic services to more advanced banking-like capabilities.”
An extract from the new report, Mobile Money in Emerging Markets 2026-2030, is now available as a free download.
Open platforms and APIs enable interoperability
The research recommends mobile money providers prioritise building out open API ecosystems and developing relationships with key partners such as banks, agent networks, retailers and other technology providers. This enables platforms to position their capabilities to best match changing market trends.
“As smartphone penetration rises, mobile money is evolving from simple USSD-based P2P transfers into fully-fledged financial super apps,” says Jahan. “Open APIs will be critical in connecting these services; enabling seamless embedded finance, and unlocking the next wave of digital financial inclusion. Platforms failing to enable this transition will be rapidly left behind.”
