When Airtime Became Money: The Accidental Currency Revolution in Africa In the early 2000s, something remarkable happened across parts of Africa. Mobile phone airtime minutes — the prepaid credits people used to make calls and send texts — quietly transformed into a form of currency . No central bank announced it. No legislature approved it. No white paper proposed it. It simply emerged. And in doing so, it revealed something profound about how money actually works. The Conditions That Made It Possible Across countries like Kenya , Nigeria , and South Africa , the situation was similar: Mobile phone ownership was rising rapidly Bank access was limited Many people worked in informal economies Sending money across distance was slow or expensive At the same time, telecom companies sold prepaid airtime vouchers that could be: Bought with cash Transferred via SMS Divided into small amounts Used anywhere within the network Airtime credits became easy to send, easy to value, and widel...