Safaricom launched the “Sambaza Furaha” caravan campaign, which is presently travelling across the Mount Kenya region, in November 2024 to mark its 24th anniversary.
In addition to bringing services closer to communities, the program rewards consumers with early Christmas presents including airtime, food hampers, live goats, and chicks.
After successful stops at Murang’a, Nyeri, Laikipia, and Meru, the caravan was heading to Tharaka Nithi, with stops scheduled in Runyenjes, Embu town, Kutus, Kerugoya, Kagio, and Mwea.
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Safaricom’s ongoing dedication to community development is demonstrated by its grassroots involvement, which supports its larger goal of financial inclusion.
Even though comparable systems have been implemented in nations like Egypt, Romania, and India, M-Pesa’s success is distinctively Kenyan, even though it was first met with stiff opposition from traditional banks.
Safaricom making impacts through M-Pesa
With 180,000 new jobs, the service has contributed to a 2 percent decrease in poverty (about 250,000 individuals), making up 8 percent of Kenya’s formal employment.
One of the most remarkable innovations of Safaricom is the birth of M-Pesa in 2007, a mobile money transfer service that allows users of the system to transfer money, pay bills, get paid, and apply for loans using straightforward text-based transactions on entry-level mobile phones.
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M-Pesa, which is utilised by 33.46 million active monthly users and is utilised by 83.7 percent of adult Kenyans, a nationwide network of 266,007 agents, with a total value of KES 20.85 trillion and 17.09 billion transactions processed, has turned Kenya into a “Silicon Savannah,” bringing in over KES 77.2 billion (about $500 million) in income in just six months.
Since the platform handles over 59 percent of Kenya’s GDP, its influence goes beyond simple banking. Innovative solar power solutions have been made possible by the service through collaborations with M-KOPA Solar, clean water access, and agricultural funding.
M-Pesa is a prime example of how mobile technology can drive financial inclusion in regions with limited access to traditional banking services.