Mobile money operators losing critical revenue from cash transfer services due to regulatory free-transfer mandates

Mobile money operators in West Africa (WAEMU region) face an urgent revenue crisis as regulatory bodies mandate 75% of digital transfers be free, eliminating their primary profit source from cash transfer fees. These operators lack viable alternative monetization models and cannot sustain operations or customer acquisition costs when their highest-margin service becomes unprofitable, forcing them to either raise prices on remaining services (making them uncompetitive) or exit the market entirely.