Olive Tree Media
Olive Tree Media Limited is a Kenya-based communications software company founded in 2012, offering bulk SMS, USSD, and M-Pesa payment integration solutions to over 1,000 businesses and government agencies across East and Southern Africa.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Olive Tree Media does
Olive Tree Media Limited is a Kenya-based, privately held software company founded in 2012 that provides bulk SMS, USSD, and payment integration solutions to businesses and government entities across East and Southern Africa. The company operates a unified communications platform anchored by the BongaSMS web portal (app.bongasms.co.ke), which enables customers to purchase SMS units via M-Pesa, manage campaigns, schedule messages, and view delivery analytics. Adjacent products include BongaSMS+ (premium shortcode monetization), a USSD gateway for interactive mobile experiences on feature phones, OlivePay (M-Pesa C2B/B2C/B2B plus Visa/Mastercard integrations), and Bulk Email. The technology stack is API-first, with REST APIs at api.olivetreehub.com enabling programmatic integration, alongside a self-serve portal for SMBs. The company claims to be licensed by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CCA) and trusted by over 1,000 businesses.
The business model is primarily usage-based: customers purchase SMS and email units via M-Pesa on a pay-as-you-go basis, while USSD is offered on shared or dedicated codes and payments generate transaction fees. Go-to-market is hybrid: product-led growth through the self-serve BongaSMS portal targets SMBs and individual senders, while an enterprise field sales motion ([email protected]) pursues government agencies and large corporates for custom integration projects. Named enterprise clients include eCitizen Kenya, Kenya Pipeline Company, Minet, Easy Coach, Art Cafe, Egerton University, Magical Kenya, and Pesa Pata. The company is founder-led (CEO James Kabiru, CTO Charles Sewe, CFO Judy Kamande), bootstrapped with no disclosed funding, operates a Nairobi headquarters with a Zambia regional office, and serves Kenya, Zambia, and Malawi. Strategic expansion has included the 2018 OlivePay launch, WhatsApp for Business development, and continued telco and payment partner ecosystem expansion.
Olive Tree Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Olive Tree Media
- Legal name
- Olive Tree Media Limited
- Website
- https://olivetreehub.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Olive Tree Media Limited is a Kenya-based communications software company founded in 2012, offering bulk SMS, USSD, and M-Pesa payment integration solutions to over 1,000 businesses and government agencies across East and Southern Africa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Olive Tree Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cloud Communications and Mobile Messaging Platform
- NAICS
- Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Telegraph & Other Message Communications (4822), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms (BPAMACAF)
Keywords
Where Olive Tree Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Olive Tree Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SMS Units: Pay-per-SMS model where customers purchase SMS credits/units via M-Pesa to send bulk marketing, transactional, and premium SMS messages. Units are consumed based on message volume.
- Bulk Email: Email messaging service where customers pay only for what they send, supporting transactional emails and marketing campaigns.
- USSD Services: USSD platform access for building real-time interactive experiences, available as shared or dedicated USSD codes.
- Payment Gateway Integration: Integration fees for M-Pesa payment processing (C2B, B2C, B2B) and access to Visa, Mastercard payment gateways with transaction dashboard management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Self-serve platform with unit-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Olive Tree Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Olive Tree Media operates a cloud-based communications and payment platform that enables businesses across Africa to send bulk SMS, run USSD-based interactive mobile experiences, and integrate M-Pesa and card payment gateways. The platform is delivered through both a self-serve web portal (BongaSMS) and REST APIs, serving SMBs through self-signup with M-Pesa unit purchases as well as enterprises and government agencies through custom integration projects.
Product overview
Olive Tree Media operates as a unified communications platform offering a portfolio of messaging and payment solutions. The core offering centers on Bonga SMS for bulk SMS messaging, complemented by Bonga SMS Plus for premium shortcode services. The platform also provides USSD services for real-time interactive mobile experiences, and OlivePay for M-Pesa and payment gateway integrations. Additional services include Bulk Email marketing, mSwali (mobile knowledge/quizzes), News KE (digital news), and an upcoming WhatsApp for Business channel. The products are accessed through a single web portal and API integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bonga: Bulk SMS messaging platform that unifies a business's messaging requirements through a single web portal. Enables sending customized marketing campaigns, transactional SMS, and promotional messages.
- BongaSMS+
- OlivePay
- mSwali
- News KE
Products and services
- Bonga SMS Bulk SMS messaging platform that enables businesses to send customized marketing, transactional, and promotional text messages to customers through a web portal.
- Bonga SMS Plus Premium shortcode SMS service that enables enterprises to monetize their content by sending bulk messages through shared or dedicated shortcodes.
- USSD Unstructured Supplementary Service Data platform providing real-time interactive mobile experiences accessible on both feature phones and smartphones, available as shared or dedicated USSD codes.
- OlivePay Payment integration service providing M-Pesa connectivity for C2B, B2C, and B2B transactions, with access to Visa, Mastercard, and other payment gateways.
- Bulk Email Bulk email service allowing businesses to send marketing emails and transactional emails from a single sender to multiple recipients.
- mSwali Mobile-based knowledge platform accessible via USSD where users can participate in quizzes and win cash prizes by answering questions correctly.
- News KE Digital news platform delivering real-time news updates, analyses, and multimedia content covering diverse topics.
Quantifiable outcome
- SMS offers 97% read rate
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Olive Tree Media
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Olive Tree Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature4 records
Olive Tree Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SafaricomcorePrimary telecommunications partner providing SMS gateway, USSD infrastructure, and M-Pesa integration. Safaricom awarded Olive Tree 'Most Improved Content Service Provider' in 2017, indicating strong operational relationship.
- Airtel KenyacoreTelecommunications partner for SMS delivery and mobile services, expanding network coverage for Olive Tree's messaging solutions.
- MTN KenyacoreTelecommunications partner providing additional network reach for SMS and mobile services across Kenya.
- Communications Authority of Kenya (CCA)coreRegulatory body that licenses Olive Tree Media as an SMS and Bulk Messaging Solutions and Content Services Provider. Required licensing for legal operation.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Olive Tree Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Twilio: Global CPaaS incumbent offering programmable SMS, voice, WhatsApp, and verification APIs with an expanding Africa presence. Competes with Olive Tree on enterprise SMS and developer APIs, though with a much broader product portfolio and global scale.
- Infobip: Global CPaaS with a strong Africa footprint offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, and payment messaging APIs. Competes with Olive Tree for large enterprise customers and government contracts across African markets.
- Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa): Pan-African mobile money and digital payments hub connecting M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and other wallets. Comparable to OlivePay's payment aggregation layer, though at significantly larger scale and cross-border remittance focus.
- Clickatell: South Africa-headquartered CPaaS with strong SMS and WhatsApp Business APIs across Africa. Overlaps with Olive Tree on bulk SMS, shortcode monetization, and enterprise messaging, particularly in Southern and East Africa.
- Cellulant: Pan-African payments and digital commerce platform providing mobile money, USSD, and payment APIs. Comparable to Olive Tree's OlivePay and USSD offerings, with deeper enterprise and banking integrations across multiple African markets.
Emerging players
- Flutterwave: African payments and business API platform offering merchant payments, transfers, and developer APIs. Partial overlap with OlivePay's payment integration focus, though more payments-led rather than messaging-led.
Direct peers
- Hubtel: Ghanaian bulk SMS, USSD, and mobile payments provider serving SMBs and enterprises. Closely mirrors Olive Tree's bundled messaging + payments model and serves a comparable developer/SMB customer base in West Africa.
- Africa's Talking: Africa's leading CPaaS offering SMS, USSD, voice, airtime, and payments APIs across multiple African countries. Directly competes with Olive Tree's BongaSMS, USSD, and OlivePay products for the same developer and enterprise customers.
- Beem Africa: African bulk SMS and WhatsApp Business API provider serving SMBs across multiple African countries. Directly competes with Olive Tree on pricing-sensitive SMB bulk messaging and offers a comparable self-serve portal experience.
Regional players
- SMSPortal: South African bulk SMS and WhatsApp Business provider with strong enterprise footprint in Southern Africa. Comparable product offering to Olive Tree's BongaSMS though geographically anchored in South Africa.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Olive Tree Media social profiles
Digital presenceOlive Tree Media compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Olive Tree Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Olive Tree Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Olive Tree Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Olive Tree Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Olive Tree Media
What does Olive Tree Media do?
Olive Tree Media operates a cloud-based communications and payment platform that enables businesses across Africa to send bulk SMS, run USSD-based interactive mobile experiences, and integrate M-Pesa and card payment gateways. The platform is delivered through both a self-serve web portal (BongaSMS) and REST APIs, serving SMBs through self-signup with M-Pesa unit purchases as well as enterprises and government agencies through custom integration projects.
Is Olive Tree Media a public or private company?
Olive Tree Media is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Olive Tree Media founded?
Olive Tree Media was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Olive Tree Media based?
Olive Tree Media is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Olive Tree Media make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. SMS Units are the primary driver. The others are bulk Email, USSD Services and payment Gateway Integration.
Who are Olive Tree Media's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Twilio, Infobip, Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa), Clickatell and Cellulant. Flutterwave is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Hubtel, Africa's Talking and Beem Africa. SMSPortal is listed as a regional player.
Does Olive Tree Media have an API?
Yes. Olive Tree Media offers API integration capabilities for their messaging and payment services. The API enables developers to integrate SMS, USSD, and M-Pesa payment services into third-party applications. Developers can access APIs to manage USSD (shared or dedicated), send bulk SMS, integrate M-Pesa transactions, and get analytics. The company provides a test account with 100 SMS credits for development purposes. Developer documentation is at api.olivetreehub.com.
What industry is Olive Tree Media in?
Olive Tree Media's product category is Cloud Communications and Mobile Messaging Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMACAF, SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5182 and its SIC code is 4822.