Madagascar Strengthens Oversight of MVola After Recurrent Mobile Money Disruptions

In response to repeated disruptions affecting MVola,  Madagascar’s leading mobile money service, Minister of Digital Development, Posts and Telecommunications Mahefa Andriamampiadan made an unannounced visit to the operator’s headquarters in Ankorondrano.

The visit follows several technical interruptions reported over recent days, which temporarily affected mobile money transactions and raised concerns among users relying on the platform for everyday financial activities. While MVola has restored services after each incident, the recurrence prompted the Ministry to intensify its oversight in close collaboration with the operator, ensuring a thorough diagnosis and the implementation of long-term corrective measures.

During the visit, Minister Andriamampiadan requested a detailed technical report from MVola outlining the origin of the disruptions, the corrective actions taken, and concrete commitments to strengthen service stability. MVola confirmed that all services were now functioning normally, noting that several tools and measures had already been deployed to restore operations.

The Ministry emphasized that protecting users remains a top priority, with ongoing monitoring of pending transactions and temporarily disrupted accounts to ensure financial data security and a smooth recovery.

To improve the resilience of the mobile money sector, the Ministry is establishing a permanent supervisory group with all operators. This initiative aims to enhance redundancy systems, update business continuity plans, and conduct regular security and stability audits.

The incidents underscore the importance of consolidating critical digital infrastructure as part of Madagascar’s broader digital refoundation. The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to implementing a National Digital Resilience Plan, enforcing mandatory standards for essential services, and maintaining continuous monitoring in partnership with operators. The goal is to work collaboratively with service providers to ensure reliable, stable, and secure digital services for all citizens.