MTN Group widened a partnership with merchant payment technology provider Flutterwave to expand acceptance of the operator’s mobile money platforms to the latter’s customers in three new African markets.

Prior to the new deal, Flutterwave customers in Uganda and Rwanda were able to accept payments through MTN’s mobile money platforms. This has now been expanded to Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Zambia.

In its statement on the expanded agreement, MTN noted the move would help boost mobile money usage in the markets, and create “opportunities for individuals and businesses across the continent”.

The deal is the operator’s latest with a merchant technology provider as it seeks to become Africa’s “largest fintech platform”. By the end of June MTN’s mobile money platform had 48.9 million active users and was accepted by 581,514 merchants across its various markets, the operator added.

MTN Group chief digital and fintech officer Serigne Dioum added the operator aimed to “empower millions of businesses to embrace e-commerce in our markets to accept digital payments”.