Safaricom

What Safaricom does

Safaricom PLC is a publicly listed Kenyan telecommunications and mobile money operator, founded in 2000 and headquartered in Nairobi on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (ticker: SCOM). Following a 2025-2026 transaction valued at approximately $2.1 billion, Vodacom Group raised its stake to 55%, taking majority control while Safaricom continues to operate as a listed NSE entity with a broad base of over 750,000 individual shareholders. Safaricom serves Kenyan retail and enterprise customers, with extended operations in Ethiopia and M-PESA branded services across 8 African countries, reaching 40M+ monthly active M-PESA customers in Kenya and 60M+ users continent-wide.

The company's core technology stack is anchored on the cloud-native M-PESA Fintech 2.0 platform, scalable to 12,000 transactions per second with embedded AI for fraud detection (89% accuracy), credit scoring, and customer segmentation, exposed through the Daraja 3.0 API (>66,000 integrations). Supporting infrastructure includes 4G/5G mobile networks, a 3,200 km fibre footprint, four Tier-3 data centres (Nairobi, Thika, Kisumu, Mombasa, plus the BSI-certified Limuru facility), and on-net POPs in London, Fujairah, and Kampala. Safaricom monetises through subscription voice/data plans, M-PESA transaction fees (a CBK-regulated revenue stream facing a planned 57% cut by 2028), Fuliza overdraft interest (KSh 1.47T disbursed in FY2026 across 17.7M users), marketplace commissions from mini-apps (Ziidi Trader stock trading, Auni analytics, Shiriki Pay), wealth management fees (Ziidi MMF with Sh400B AUM), wholesale carrier services, and enterprise connectivity, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions. Recent product launches — My OneApp super app (April 2026), Ziidi Trader, Auni, M-PESA number masking, and the BSI Mark of Trust for Limuru — underline a strategic pivot from a telco-mobile-money hybrid to a broader fintech and platform-as-a-service company targeting a 2030 AI-native posture.

Name

Safaricom

Legal name

Safaricom PLC

Website

https://safaricom.co.ke

Company type

Public

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Safaricom PLC is Kenya's largest mobile network operator and the home of M-PESA, the world's first mobile money platform, serving 40M+ Kenyan customers and 60M+ users across eight African countries. It operates a cloud-native Fintech 2.0 platform, 4G/5G networks, and an expanding fintech and enterprise services portfolio under Vodacom Group majority ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Telecommunications and Mobile Financial Services

NAICS

Telecommunications Resellers (517121)

akta.pro primary industry

Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) Platforms (BPAMAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

BNPL & Consumer Travel Financing (THALAHAC)

Keywords

• Mobile telecommunications
• Mobile money services
• Fintech platform
• Mobile network operator
• Digital financial services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Mobile Subscription and Voice Revenue: Recurring prepaid/postpaid subscription fees for mobile voice and data plans; per-second billing model; interconnected with termination rate reductions (e.g., MTR cut to KES 0.37/minute in March 2026)
2. M-Pesa Transaction Fees: Per-transaction fees on P2P transfers, withdrawals, merchant payments (Till/PayBill); processes over USD 300 billion annually across 60M+ users in 8 African countries; pricing subject to CBK regulation including planned 57% reduction by 2028
3. Fuliza Overdraft Credit Fees: Mobile overdraft facility (world's first) generating interest/fees from short-term liquidity disbursed; KSh 1.47 trillion disbursed in FY2026 across 17.7M customers; average borrow size ~KSh 217
4. M-Pesa Business & Mini-App Commission (e.g., Ziidi, Auni): Fee-based revenue from third-party mini-apps hosted in M-Pesa Super App (Ziidi Trader stock trading commissions, Auni analytics subscriptions); expands fee-based revenue beyond traditional telecom
5. Mobile Data & Internet Revenue: Data bundle subscriptions and pay-as-you-go data plans; mobile data revenue has grown as voice revenue declines (voice peaked 2018); includes fixed/wireless broadband (e.g., Wi-Fi Bamba KES 800/month)
6. Wholesale & Enterprise Services: Carrier-grade IP transit, leased capacities, international voice, SMS, roaming, tower space, fibre, and data centre services sold to other telecom operators and large enterprises; part of Safaricom Wholesale division
7. Enterprise Connectivity, Cloud & Cybersecurity: Safaricom Business sells 4G/5G internet for business, cloud solutions (SaaS, IaaS), managed cybersecurity via 24/7 SOC; white-labelling options available for partners
8. Wealth Management (Ziidi MMF, Shariah-compliant products): Management fees and profit-sharing on investment products including Ziidi Money Market Fund (Sh784.2M profit in 14 months) and Halal Pesa; investment platform with assets under management growing 7% to Sh400 billion
9. Bond / Debt Capital Markets Funding: Raised $154M via bond (greenshoe exercised) for corporate investments; also issued debut green bond (Sh20B raised vs Sh15B target) for solarisation and energy efficiency; not core revenue but indicates capital markets activity

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Safaricom is a mobile network operator and digital financial services provider offering mobile voice, SMS, 4G/5G data, fixed/wireless home internet, and the M-PESA mobile money platform. Its product portfolio extends into consumer credit (Fuliza, M-Shwari), savings and wealth (KCB M-PESA, Ziidi Money Market Fund, Ziidi Trader, Halal Pesa), international remittances (M-PESA Global), and enterprise services including business connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity, and wholesale carrier infrastructure. The M-PESA platform processes over USD 300 billion annually across more than 60 million users in 8 African countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M-PESA: World-first mobile money platform launched in 2007; processes over USD 300 billion annually and serves 40+ million customers in Kenya.
• Fuliza
• My OneApp
• MySafaricom App
• Bonga Points
• Masoko
• Baze
• Skiza Tunes
• Ziidi
• Chapa Dimba
• Lewa Safaricom Marathon
• Safaricom Jazz Festival
• Safaricom Athletics Series
• M-TIBA
• Safaricom Youth Orchestra
• Spark Accelerator
• Safaricom Beatz

Products and services

• M-PESA Mobile Money Platform Mobile money platform supporting person-to-person transfers, bill payments, merchant payments (Till/PayBill), bulk payments, savings, credit, and international remittances; processes over USD 300 billion annually in transaction value and is regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya.
• My OneApp (Safaricom AI Super App) Unified super app combining M-PESA, MySafaricom, and third-party mini-apps into a single AI-personalized platform for consumers and merchants.
• Safaricom Mobile Voice and Data Services (PrePay, PostPay, All-in-One) Prepaid and postpaid mobile voice, SMS, and data subscription plans for individual consumers, including All-in-One monthly bundles, Data with Expiry, Data with No Expiry, and per-second billing.
• Safaricom Home Fibre and Wi-Fi Bamba (Fixed Internet) Fixed and wireless broadband internet for homes, including Safaricom Home Fibre plans and Wi-Fi Bamba pay-as-you-go wireless, with add-on services like Home CCTV and Secure Net.
• Fuliza (M-PESA Overdraft) Mobile overdraft facility embedded in M-PESA that lets customers complete a transaction when they have insufficient funds, with fees on the overdraft amount; co-lent with NCBA Bank.
• M-Shwari (M-PESA Savings and Loans) M-PESA-based savings and loan account in partnership with NCBA Bank, with a Lock Savings fixed-deposit feature, accessible from any phone via the M-PESA menu.
• KCB M-PESA Account Bank account accessed through the M-PESA menu in partnership with KCB Bank Kenya, allowing users to save, take loans, and access other KCB financial services from their phones.
• M-PESA Global (International Remittance) International remittance service enabling senders worldwide to send money to M-PESA wallets in Kenya, with send limits from KSh 101 to KSh 70,000 and zero receiving fees on partner channels.
• Ziidi Money Market Fund (Ziidi Wealth Platform) Low-threshold money market fund and wealth platform accessible from M-PESA, with investments starting at KSh 100; includes the Ziidi Trader mini-app for NSE share and corporate bond trading.
• Daraja API (M-PESA Developer Platform) Public API gateway for businesses and developers to integrate with M-PESA for C2B payments, B2C disbursements, B2B transfers, transaction status queries, balance checks, reversals, and STK Push.
• Safaricom Business Suite (All-in-One SME Platform) Suite of digital business tools under the Safaricom Business brand for SMEs, including school management, point-of-sale, HR, communications, and ERP.
• Safaricom Internet for Business (4G/5G Enterprise Connectivity)
• Safaricom Cloud Solutions SaaS and IaaS cloud services for enterprise and government customers, hosted in Safaricom's Tier-3 data centres.
• Safaricom Cybersecurity Solutions Managed cybersecurity services including 24/7 SOC monitoring, threat detection, and incident response, with white-labelling options for partners.
• Safaricom Wholesale Towers and Fibre (Carrier Infrastructure) Wholesale sale and lease of Safaricom's towers, fibre, IP transit, international voice, SMS, roaming, and data centre capacity to other telecom operators and large enterprises.
• M-TIBA (Mobile Health Wallet) Mobile health wallet integrated with M-PESA, enabling users to save, send, and receive funds earmarked for healthcare expenses.
• Lipa Mdogo Mdogo (4G Smartphone Financing) Affordable 4G smartphone financing product allowing customers to pay for devices in small daily instalments (e.g., KSh 20/day) to drive internet adoption.
• Bonga Points Loyalty Programme Consumer loyalty programme that lets Safaricom subscribers earn points on usage and redeem them for voice, data, SMS, devices, and partner rewards.
• M-PESA PayBill and Till (Merchant Payment Rails) Merchant payment acceptance rails on M-PESA allowing businesses to receive customer payments via PayBill numbers and Till numbers, with bulk B2C disbursements.
• Zuri (AI Customer Service Chatbot) AI-powered chatbot on Telegram and WhatsApp that helps customers navigate Safaricom and M-PESA services, answer queries, and complete tasks.

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration23 records

AI capability14 records

Feature9 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• MTN Group Limited: Africa's largest mobile network operator with presence across West, East and Southern Africa; operates the MoMo mobile money platform that competes head-to-head with M-PESA in shared markets (Uganda, Rwanda, Ghana). Directly comparable in mobile money, fintech, and enterprise services across Africa.
• Airtel Africa plc: Multi-country African mobile operator with active 4G/5G expansion and a growing Airtel Money mobile money platform; competes directly with Safaricom in Kenya and across multiple East African markets. Closely comparable on mobile money ARPU, customer acquisition, and regulatory exposure.

Broad incumbents

• Vodacom Group Limited: Safaricom's majority parent since 2026, operating mobile and mobile money businesses across multiple African markets including Tanzania, DRC, Mozambique, Lesotho, and South Africa. Co-owner of the M-PESA brand via JV; the most direct group-level comparable for cross-border M-PESA strategy and pan-African telco scale.
• Orange S.A. Global telecom operator with significant African footprint (Orange Money) operating across Francophone Africa. Comparable on mobile money, MFS, and enterprise services in Africa, with broader incumbency in EMEA than Safaricom's regional focus.

Regional players

• Ethio Telecom: State-owned incumbent mobile operator in Ethiopia, historically the sole provider prior to Safaricom Ethiopia's 2022 entry. Most direct competitor in the Ethiopian market where Safaricom is attempting to scale M-PESA against an entrenched incumbent with national distribution.
• Telkom SA SOC Ltd: South African integrated telecom operator competing in mobile, fixed, and enterprise; comparable on regulated African telco economics, MVNO/mobile money positioning, and infrastructure ownership. Provides a Southern African comparable for regulatory and competitive dynamics.
• 9mobile (Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Ltd): Nigerian mobile operator with an embedded mobile money offering; comparable as an African mobile operator pursuing monetisation beyond voice amid ARPU pressure and regulated pricing. Provides a Nigerian market analogue for African mobile-money economics.

Emerging players

• Econet Wireless Global: Pan-African telecom and mobile money operator (EcoCash) with operations across Zimbabwe, Lesotho, DRC, and Burundi. Comparable on integrated telecom-plus-mobile-money business model in markets adjacent to Safaricom's footprint.
• Cellulant Corporation: Pan-African digital payments and mobile money technology provider; participates in the same M-PESA Decode 4.0 agentic-wallet discussions. Comparable as an enabling technology peer in the African mobile money and payments infrastructure layer adjacent to Safaricom's Daraja API.
• MFS Africa / Onafriq: Pan-African digital payments hub enabling cross-border mobile money interoperability; comparable to M-PESA Global's cross-border remittance proposition (Western Union, PayPal, MoneyGram integrations) and competes for the same cross-border fintech flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SafaricomLtd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SafaricomOfficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/SafaricomLtd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/safaricom
• Instagraminstagram.com/safaricomplc_
• TikToktiktok.com/@safaricomplc

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Safaricom