Bukom, Jamestown, came alive over the weekend as MobileMoney LTD, the subsidiary of MTN Ghana that manages the nation’s largest mobile money platform, kicked off the second season of its flagship event, MoMoFest Keteke.
The launch was nothing short of electrifying — a thrilling mix of live music, cultural expression, digital innovation, and financial education that reflected the heart of the festival’s mission: to deepen financial inclusion and strengthen fraud awareness in a fun and relatable way.
For thousands of people who trooped to the historic community, the festival was a celebration of more than music and markets.
It was an opportunity to connect with the power of digital finance in their daily lives.
At the centre of the experience was a simple but compelling idea — that financial literacy, digital confidence, and fraud awareness can be delivered not only in banks or classrooms but also through music, drama, games, and shared community experiences.
A festival with purpose
Since its inception in April 2025, MoMoFest has sought to demystify mobile money and make it relevant to the everyday Ghanaian.
By blending entertainment and education, the festival has created an avenue where people can learn how to use financial services securely while enjoying themselves.
The objectives behind MoMoFest are threefold.
First, it aims to deepen financial inclusion by making digital services accessible and relatable to the unbanked and underserved.
Second, it seeks to raise fraud awareness by providing practical, easy-to-understand tips on how to stay safe while using mobile money.
And third, it works to showcase the cashless ecosystem by encouraging communities to experience cashless transactions firsthand through markets, games, and digital engagement.
Alfred Hammond, Senior Manager for Marketing at MobileMoney LTD, explained this broader mission during the Bukom launch. “MoMoFest is more than just an event; it’s a movement to make financial services accessible, relatable, and rewarding for all. By blending education, entertainment, and community engagement, we are showing how mobile money can truly transform lives,” he said.
The Bukom experience
The Bukom edition of MoMoFest Season 2 was a spectacular showcase of how these objectives come to life on the ground.
On the entertainment side, the festival featured high-energy performances from chart-topping artists Olivetheboy, Mr. Drew, Fameye, and King Jerry, alongside a lineup of underground artists who added fresh energy to the stage.
Music and dance kept the crowd buzzing deep into the night, but behind the scenes, the true heartbeat of the event was its cashless economy and financial literacy drive.
A lively cashless market was set up, where vendors sold food, drinks, clothing, and accessories exclusively through mobile money.
Discounts of up to 20% were offered to encourage digital transactions, creating a fun and practical demonstration of how cashless ecosystems benefit both sellers and buyers.
For many local vendors, it was their first experience relying solely on mobile payments for a business day — an experiment that boosted their confidence in digital finance.
The MoMo Keteke Game Show added another layer of excitement. Participants had the chance to win up to GH₵10,000 by answering questions on mobile money usage, financial literacy, and fraud prevention.
The interactive format ensured that lessons were memorable, with winners not only walking away with cash prizes but also with renewed knowledge about how to stay secure while transacting digitally.
Perhaps the most impactful segment of the festival was the fraud awareness sessions.
Using drama, roleplay, and audience participation, facilitators walked the community through common fraud schemes — from “wrong number” scams to fake promotions — and demonstrated simple ways to spot and avoid them.
The engaging approach made fraud education less intimidating, resonating strongly with both young and elderly attendees.
Building on season one’s success
MoMoFest Season 1 had already set a high bar when it toured communities in Kumasi and Accra earlier this year.
Stops at Ashantifest, Madina, Nungua, Lapaz, Nima, and Amasaman drew thousands, proving that the blend of culture, entertainment, and financial education was a formula that worked.
In those communities, vendors reported improved business confidence after participating in cashless markets, while participants gained practical tips that helped them avoid fraud attempts.
The overwhelmingly positive feedback laid the groundwork for the expansion into Season 2, which MobileMoney LTD is positioning as “bigger, bolder, and broader.”
Season 2, which runs from September to November 2025, will travel across key communities in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Central Regions.
Each stop will replicate the Bukom model — music, markets, and money education — but will also adapt to local cultural flavours, ensuring that every edition feels unique and community-driven.
Driving Ghana’s digitisation agenda
MoMoFest’s significance extends beyond entertainment.
It sits at the intersection of Ghana’s broader digitisation agenda, which has become a cornerstone of national development policy. The government’s drive towards a 24-hour economy, digital payments, and e-governance requires that citizens not only have access to digital tools but also the confidence to use them.
MobileMoney LTD, as the operator of Ghana’s most widely used mobile money platform, plays a critical role in this transformation.
By making financial services accessible even to people in rural and informal communities, MoMo has become a lifeline for millions who would otherwise remain outside the formal banking system.
According to industry data, mobile money penetration in Ghana now surpasses traditional banking in terms of account ownership, with over 18 million registered accounts.
Yet challenges remain — particularly around fraud, low digital literacy, and resistance to abandoning cash.
MoMoFest is one of the company’s creative responses to these challenges, offering a human-centred approach that goes beyond apps and numbers to meet people where they are.
Tackling the fraud challenge
Fraud remains one of the biggest threats to mobile money adoption.
From SIM box scams to fake calls and phishing schemes, fraudsters have consistently tried to exploit vulnerabilities in the system.
MobileMoney LTD has invested heavily in technology, security protocols, and customer education to address this, but the company recognises that technical fixes alone are not enough.
Community awareness is critical. By dramatising fraud attempts on stage, inviting survivors of scams to share their experiences, and equipping users with practical safety tips, MoMoFest is helping build a culture of digital vigilance.
For many attendees, these sessions are eye-opening. “I nearly fell victim to a promotion scam last year,” said one Bukom resident, “but after seeing the drama today, I know exactly what to look out for. Next time, I won’t be fooled.”
Such testimonials underscore the value of grassroots education in building trust in digital platforms.
Economic empowerment through cashless markets
The cashless markets introduced at MoMoFest are more than just a novelty; they represent a microcosm of Ghana’s economic future.
By enabling vendors to operate without cash, the markets demonstrate the efficiency, safety, and convenience of digital transactions.
For small businesses, mobile money reduces risks associated with handling cash, provides easier access to records for accounting, and creates pathways to credit and other financial services.
For consumers, it reduces the need to carry physical money and makes purchases faster and safer.
At Bukom, vendors reported brisk sales and expressed interest in continuing to accept mobile money even after the festival.
This ripple effect — where temporary cashless markets encourage long-term adoption — is one of the lasting legacies MoMoFest hopes to achieve.
Community, culture, and connection
One of the strengths of MoMoFest lies in its ability to blend modern financial education with cultural expression.
By featuring music, dance, and storytelling, the festival speaks the language of the people, making abstract concepts like “financial inclusion” tangible and relatable.
The choice of Bukom — a historic neighborhood renowned for its boxing heritage and vibrant culture — was no accident.
By anchoring the festival in communities that represent Ghana’s diversity, MoMoFest underscores its commitment to inclusion, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital finance revolution.
As Season 2 unfolds across Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Central Regions, expectations are high.
Each stop promises to bring new energy, new lessons, and new opportunities for communities to embrace digital finance.
For MobileMoney LTD, the festival is part of a long-term vision. Beyond the immediate buzz of concerts and games, the company is laying the groundwork for a future where digital transactions are second nature to Ghanaians — safe, secure, and accessible to all.
The blend of fun and finance, culture and commerce, makes MoMoFest not just a festival but a model for how corporations can drive social impact while promoting their core services.
As Hammond noted, “When people leave MoMoFest, we want them to feel entertained, but more importantly, we want them to feel empowered.
That empowerment — to use digital finance safely and confidently — is the real win.”
The launch of MoMoFest Season 2 in Bukom was more than just a party; it was a powerful statement about the future of finance in Ghana.
By bringing financial literacy to the streets, turning fraud awareness into drama, and embedding digital payments into everyday experiences, MobileMoney LTD is showing that financial inclusion can be achieved not only through policy and infrastructure but also through culture, creativity, and community engagement.
