M-pesa has become the first mobile money provider in Africa to join the charity task force established by United for Wildlife, which works to combat illegal wildlife trade.
The United for Wildlife financial task force was established in 2018 through a declaration signed at Mansion House in London. Since then, there have been 42 signatories to the declaration, with the United for Wildlife task force’s Information Sharing System underpinning much of its action.
M-pesa joins a number of international banks, including Standard Bank, Barclays, Santander Bank Group, City of London, German Bank, HSBC Bank, and JP Morgan Chase who, under the declaration, are channeling resources and financial intelligence to support legal efforts to pursue the major beneficiaries of the illegal trade.
M-pesa’s entry into this chain is due to the fact that it has become the most popular financial services provider in Africa and the leading financial technology platform. Right now, it is used by 41.5 million people, across seven African countries, including Mozambique, with 12.2 billion transactions per year.
The platform also allows individuals and businesses to pay bills, create savings and loan accounts, access overdraft facilities, commercial and health services.
Organized crime has become one of the biggest threats to animals in Africa and on other continents
Sitoyo Lopokoyit, CEO of M-Pesa Africa, said, “The environment remains a shared and critical common resource and is under threat from the illegal wildlife trade. The future of our economy, families and children depends on protecting our wildlife and natural ecosystems.”
Organized crime has become one of the biggest threats to animals in Africa and on other continents. The illegal wildlife trade is valued between USD 50-150 billion, per year, and is one of the top five most lucrative global crimes. There is a consensus that the global financial system is a crucial means of transferring illicit resources, so there is a need to partner with financial platforms, hence the task force.
In a statement, Lord William Hague, Chairman of the Board of Directors of United for Wildlife, noted that “Illegal wildlife trade is a global crisis and financial institutions have a crucial role to play in the fight against it. United for Wildlife welcomes M-Pesa to further strengthen the links between financial institutions and law enforcement to combat trafficking in illegal wildlife products.”
