Browsing: Safaricom

Kenya’s capital markets is showing a sign of recovery this year with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) recording a gain in January, albeit minimal, as large stocks pay investors.
  • The latest Nairobi Securities Exchange monthly Barometer shows month-on-month growth comparing January this year and December last year, with prospects looking much better after a bear run last year.
  • Market capitalisation increased by 0.08 per cent in January to $9.11 billion from $9.05 billion in December 2023.
  • The NSE 20 and NSE 25 Share Index recorded increases in activity of 0.89 per cent and 1.32 per cent, respectively, while the All-Share Index experienced a 0.08 per cent increase.

Nairobi Securities Exchange showing recovery signs

Kenya’s capital market is showing a sign of recovery this year, with the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) recording a gain in January, albeit minimal, as large stocks pay investors.

This is despite interest rates in advanced economies remaining high into 2024, a trend that has seen foreign investors focus on home markets, mainly the United States.

The latest NSE monthly Barometer shows month-on-month growth comparing January …

Safaricom-Ethiopia
  • Registered customers for M-Pesa Ethiopia rose to 3.1 million from 1.2 million as of half the Financial Year 2023/2024, transacting worth $115.63 million.
  • Ethiopia’s National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2021–2025 aims to increase financial inclusion from 45 to 70 per cent of all adults by 2025, partly by scaling digital payments through mobile money services.
  • The country also aims to increase the use of digital payments from 20 per cent of all adults in 2020 to 49 per cent by 2025.

Revenue growth for M-Pesa Ethiopia

Safaricom’s M-Pesa in Ethiopia reported revenue returns of $277,139.43 over the nine months ending in December 2023.

Following its August 2023 launch, the operations generated $45,000 over the first four months, with further commitment to grow the numbers.

Registered customers for M-Pesa Ethiopia rose to 3.1 million from 1.2 million as of half the Financial Year 2023/2024, transacting worth $115.63 million.

However, the opportunity for …

Nairobi Securities Exchange investor sell-off in 2023
  • In 2023, a significant investor sell-off led to a $15.5 million (KSh4.2 billion) decline in the Kenya stock market.
  • During the review period, Safaricom’s market valuation declined, attributed in part to prolonged and price-agnostic portfolio outflows by foreign investors in favor of dollar-denominated assets.
  • Utility Umeme Limited recorded the highest valuation gains throughout 2023, registering an impressive 115.6 percent return.

Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firms, including Safaricom PLC, British American Tobacco (BAT), and Cooperative Bank, emerged among the top counters experiencing the highest investor sell-off in 2023, a new trading report reveals.

Over the past year, a consistent trend of investor flight led to the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) witnessing a drop of $15.5 million (KSh4.2 billion) in the value of shares traded on the bourse

The 2024 outlook report by AIB-AXYS Africa Investment indicates that despite some firms, such as Safaricom, recording improvements in share prices towards the end …

Safaricom M-PESA
  • Telco giant Safaricom has reported a 2.1% increase in net profit, reaching $225 million (KES34.2 billion) for the six months ending on September 30.
  • Company CEO says there was heightened pressure on consumers’ finances due to both global influences and domestic inflation. 
  • Money transfer service M-PESA was the firm’s biggest source of revenue at 42% in the period.

Kenya’s telecommunications giant, Safaricom, has reported a 2.1 percent increase in net profit, reaching $225 million (KES34.2 billion) for the six months ending on September 30. During this period, earnings from the cash transfer service, M-PESA, which constitutes approximately 42 per cent of the total service revenue, saw a 16 per cent surge compared to the same period in the previous year.

Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa, pointed out that during the six months, there was heightened pressure on consumers’ finances due to both international influences and domestic factors such as inflation. Furthermore, …

Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom PLC, Peter Ndegwa/ Courtesy
  • Early stage startups in East Africa are set to benefit from the launch of a new accelerator programme by tech giant Safaricom.
  • Safaricom is partnering with M-PESA Africa and Sumitomo Corporation, a leading Fortune 500 global trading and business investment company. 
  • The accelerator plan dubbed Spark Accelerator is aimed at supporting early stage startups to grow and scale their businesses. 

Early stage startups in East Africa are set to benefit from an accelerator programme by Safaricom in partnership with M-PESA Africa and Sumitomo Corporation, a leading Fortune 500 global trading and business investment company. 

The accelerator dubbed Spark Accelerator is aimed at supporting early stage startups to grow and scale their businesses. The program will provide target startups with access to market, access to capital, technology and product development support. Previously, Spark Fund only offered capital injection.

Early stage startups to get mentorship

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa says the move

M-Mama

The Vodafone Foundation has set aside $6 million to extend the successful m-mama maternal health initiative to Malawi over the next five years. This expansion aims to enhance maternal and newborn healthcare access in Malawi and the region. Malawi has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Estimates show that the country currently records 5.7 maternal deaths per 1,000 live births.…

Safaricom-Apple partnership announced by President William Ruto

In a recent announcement during the US-Africa Business Roundtable in the United States, Kenya’s President William Ruto revealed that Safaricom, a leading telecommunications company, is establishing a strategic partnership with Apple Inc. The Safaricom-Apple partnership will integrate the widely-used mobile money platform, M-Pesa, with Apple’s ecosystem. This integration will expand M-Pesa’s mobile financial services globally.
President William Ruto announced the deal after he toured Silicon Valley in San Francisco Bay, United States, on 16 September. The Kenyan leader is fast gaining popularity across Africa and globally. He has led from the front in marketing Kenya as a conducive ground for foreign business to thrive.…

Airtel Africa
  • Bharti Mittal is the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, one of India’s foremost first-generation corporations.
  • It has interests in telecom, space communications, digital solutions, insurance, foods, real estate and hospitality.
  • Bharti Airtel, the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises, has operations in 17 countries. It ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, an Indian business magnate and philanthropist, was in Kenya last week managing a significant announcement by Airtel Kenya, a division of Airtel Africa.

During his visit, Airtel Kenya announced plans to expand its network coverage to meet the growing demand for data services in the country. The new expansion will add 349 sites into its infrastructure network by December.

What's more, an additional 300 sites are in the pipeline, the management added. The new investment represents the company’s commitment to enhancing connectivity and improving service quality.

We aim to bridge digital divide—Bharti Mittal

The…

Smart Water Meters to be deployed as Safaricom partners with KEWI

Safaricom has partnered with the Kenya Water Institute (KEWI) to deploy Smart Water System in the water sector. Through the partnership, Safaricom will deploy the system at the KEWI’s Nairobi and Kitui campuses to facilitate practical training. The giant telco will additionally co-create and run a Smart Water Management curriculum for students at the institution.…

Safaricom Ethiopia
  • Safaricom targets a customer base of at least 10 million across 25 cities in the next year.
  • Since Safaricom Ethiopia switched on its mobile telecommunications network, it has grown coverage from an initial 11 to 22 cities.
  • Safaricom Ethiopia is building a wholly-owned mobile network and also has infrastructure sharing deal with state-owned Ethio Telecom.

Safaricom is now targeting a customer base of at least 10 million in Ethiopia in the next one year. The move is tailored to shake up the country’s telecommunication industry. Latest developments follows huge investments in the country, with cash transfer service M-PESA now on the table.

Since Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia switched on its mobile telecommunications network and services in Addis Ababa in October last year, major inroads have been made in the second-most populous country in Africa.

It has grown coverage from an initial 11 cities when it launched to 22. The telco with …