If you typed mobile money into Google you will be served with reams of articles about how mobile money is changing Africa, and how successful it is on the continent despite the fact only one country out of 55 African countries has successfully implemented mobile money on the continent. As an Afro-realist I prefer to study the situation on the ground rather than attribute the success of one country to a whole continent.Whilst in Ghana a few weeks ago I pulled out my debit card to pay for dinner only to be told by the waitress that it was a cash-only service. This was at one of the best restaurants in the country. The reliance on cash is pervasive across sub-Saharan Africa, and for a continent said to be at the forefront of mobile money it seems rather hard to believe.Thanks to the runaway success of M-Pesa in Kenya there is a mistaken belief among some that mobile banking & payment is the norm across Africa. Even though there are many bright spots on the continent where the mobile phone is improving financial inclusion and facilitating commerce, there is still a long way to go. The quest to replicate Kenya’s success remains a difficult and uphill struggle, however in countries like Nigeria, Uganda and Ghana mobile money projects are beginning to pay off for operators. Despite this, cash still remains the primary and main means of commerce in Africa.Prateek Shrivastava, Managing Director of Emerging Markets at Monitise believes Kenya’s success could be attributed to, amongst other things, a clear demand for a single mobile money service – ‘send money’ – due to high numbers of domestic migrants, as well as the relatively dominant position of Safaricom (Biggest Mobile Operator in Kenya) in the Kenyan market. He also pointed to the regulatory regime as an enabler of the success seen in Kenya.In markets where these conditions do not exist, could a focus on m-commerce increase adoption and patronage of mobile money? On the face of it Sub-Saharan Africa has all the ingredients necessary to drive m-commerce; a large informal sector where business is carried out mainly by cash. Furthermore, women, who naturally are at a higher risk of robbery and theft, make a sizeable portion of this informal economy. These factors coupled with limited access to traditional financial services means this is a region begging for a m-commerce driven economy powered by smart mobile payment systems.While most Africans are limited by access to computers and unreliable internet connections, the one commodity that is plentiful is the mobile phone. Successful implementation of mobile payment will create an m-commerce revolution to rival the success that e-commerce has had in the developed world. This will allow the farmers, businessmen and entrepreneurs of Africa to reach a wider range of possible buyers at a relatively low cost.All over the world e-commerce is playing an increasingly significant part in the economies of both developing and developed countries. A recent study by management consultancy AT Kearney found that in the UK e-commerce contributes £45 billion to the country's economy or 3.1%o of GDP. The reason e-commerce has been so successful is that it allows anybody to offer their goods and services to a wider market beyond that imposed by geographical limits. Most of sub-Saharan Africa remains a rurally driven agri-economy, with farmers and businessmen having to rely on their local market days to do business. Africa needs a m-commerce revolution of its own to radically change the way business is done.The revolution will not benefit only rural dwellers but also their fellow countrymen who live in urban areas. From micro transactions such as purchasing a cinema ticket to those on a larger scale such as paying for white goods, m-commerce will enable people living in African cities to make the transactions and payments necessary for everyday living at the push of a button, without the need for cash.This will also open the door for many online businesses to emerge, and the ease of purchase that will follow will spur consumption, create new jobs and help African companies to develop markets beyond their existing borders and the borders of the continent.