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The Green Giant: 18 ways we have grown with Safaricom

Soko Directory Team
Safaricom

Safaricom Plc is, on the 23rd October, celebrating the 18th anniversary, close to two decades of transforming the Kenyan lives. The company, which is currently the largest telcos in the country has undergone many transitions with each step incorporating its customers.

Amidst countless innovations and project implementations across the country, Safaricom Plc has made life easy for many Kenyans. For me and countless others across the country, we have stories to tell, thanks to their products. Here is a look at services and products that the telecommunication giant has innovated and come through for us over the last 18 years.

Before the introduction of M-PESA in mobile money was a strange term to many. But now, thanks to the service, financial services are more convenient than before. M-PESA, which was the first mobile money in Africa, was exclusive and unique before other telcos started emulating it.

With the service, I don’t see the need to visit the bank to withdraw or send money. I can sit back and relax in my chair and send money to my family, or pay for goods and services in the supermarket, or better still, pay for utility bills among others at home!

The service has driven financial inclusion across the country higher than before. Today, more than 96 percent of households have at least one active M-PESA account, which means we all love it.

It is worth mentioning that through M-PESA, access to mobile money has significantly increased both in female-headed households as well as male-headed households. Thousands of women have successfully transitioned from subsistence farming or being housewives to business or sales as their primary occupation because of easy access to money.

With loan integration platforms and new M-PESA innovations, Safaricom continues to make lives easy for the common citizen.

It was launched in November 2012 following a strategic partnership between Safaricom and Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA). Not long after it was launched, the platform attracted many Kenyans of all walks of life.

Typically, M-Shwari is a bank account issued by CBA that enables individuals to access loans of as low as 100 shillings and save money from as little as 1 shilling. Today, more than 10 million customers use the platform to borrow tens of thousands of shillings each day for various financial needs.

I, for one, use the service for my financial needs and not once has it failed me, well, provided I pay the loan on time.

The service, since its inception to July 2018, has disbursed 230 billion shillings in loans with an average of 3, 300 shillings per person. What is your story?

The convenience of Airtime Sambaza is incredible! It has made making calls highly convenient. Before one would run to the shop and buy airtime for a friend or family but with the service, through a USSD code, you can transfer airtime from your number to a specific contact.

The service allows both Pre-Pay and Post-Pay subscribers to share airtime of any amount between 5 and 10,000 shillings.

Initially, the service was only for airtime transfer, however, Safaricom PLC included another service; Sambaza Internet. It allows you to send data bundles to other Safaricom customers and it is available for both Pre-Pay and Post-Pay customers.

When I am running low on airtime, the first thing that comes to mind is the Okoa Jahazi service. I am a Pre-Pay customer and I can borrow airtime on credit and pay later. One can borrow from as low as 10 shillings and as high as 1000 shillings with a service fee of 10 percent. The credit can be used to buy bundles, send text messages or make calls.

With the increase of Smartphone ownership and advancing technology, Safaricom has made internet penetration across the country swift and convenient. Both businesses, homeowners, and individuals can access the service. By dialing *544#, one is hit with several data options ranging from the daily, weekly, monthly, and 90-day bundles all for your convenience.

What is even more impressive is the way you can use the Okoa Internet service and pay for the package later. The bundles come with other incredible offers like free text messaging or through WhatsApp among others.

For any amount of airtime, you use above ten shillings, you get Bonga Points, which can be redeemed for a plethora or rewards. The rewards include Talk-time (Minutes), Data, SMS and MMS bundles to Merchandise. These points are redeemable at any Safaricom Retail Centre countrywide. Recently, Safaricom made redeeming Bonga Points for data even more convenient for the customer, for 1 Bonga Point, you get 1MB of data.

Nothing is as sweet as browsing the internet without wasting time awaiting fast connections. This service falls under the data package but Safaricom was the first one to introduce it to the country. With 4G sim cards and LTE devices, one can now browse the internet at amazing speeds, up to 5 times the normal speed. This has made browsing and buffering for business an amazing experience.

For example, when I am downloading a movie or streaming the trending Videos on YouTube, I don’t have to contend with slow connections. Thank You Safaricom 4G.

Well, I may be past the age bracket now to enjoy this service but it was the best before I fell out of the age bracket. Launched in May 2016, BLAZE is a network aimed exclusively at addressing the needs of the youth segment. It features several exclusive benefits and services, including the opportunity to attend the ‘Be Your Own Boss’ (BYOB) mentorship summits, shop with BLAZE Bonga, customise their own personal service plans and buy more affordable bundles with the ‘Create Your Plan’ application, and the possibility of participating in the BYOB TV show. Safaricom BLAZE targets the youth aged between 10 and 26 years old.

When the cost of having internet in your home through other means became expensive, Safaricom came up with Safaricom Fibre that allows you to have fast, reliable and unlimited internet access from the comfort of your living room. The company provides you with a router and access to credentials that will enable you to have both Wireless and LAN access, with no installation charges. Now you can carry your online business home or make conference calls without a hassle.

Safaricom has three foundations; Safaricom Foundation, M-PESA and M-PESA Foundation Academy. All these foundations have uplifted the lives of many over the years. Millions of people have benefitted from several disaster response initiatives; close to a million Kenyans have received specialized health services through mobile medical camps, and more than 680,000 children are now learning in classrooms.

Moreover, through the Foundation, 232,000 people have been economically empowered through community-based income generation projects and 172,000 people can access clean and safe water thanks to community water projects.

Additionally, the company has planted over 5.6 million trees in community nurseries and in large-scale conservation projects; built 181 classrooms and dorms countrywide and 50 special units to cater for the special learning needs of children. There is no denying that the philanthropical work Safaricom has done is almost uncountable. Its involvement extends beyond the signing of cheques to encompass an all-around involvement in projects.

This is a product by Safaricom that is accessible through a customer’s mobile phone. It allows one to save or set aside some funds to cater to healthcare needs. Anybody who has signed up for the service can store funds in M-Tiba and use them to pay for services and medication at specific healthcare facilities where the M-TIBA logo exists. Moreover, one can transfer funds from an M-PESA account to your M-TIBA. Funds stored in M-TIBA are managed by UAP insurance. In a nutshell, M-Tiba brings insurance cover closer home.

I am a fan of Jazz, and there was no way in the world I would have missed the recent concert that hosted Dianne Reeves, all thanks to Safaricom. The company hasn’t forgotten the entertainment industry, and it sure hasn’t forgotten those with the true taste of a classical tradition, like me.

It introduced the Safaricom Jazz Festivals in February 2014, and since then, it has evolved into an unmissable musical celebration.  Safaricom Jazz Festival brings together talented as well as notable musicians from all over the country and outside Kenya in the spirit of keeping the music genre alive. It has since contributed to a significant expansion of the Kenyan Jazz scene.

Although I gave up along the way, Safaricom Lewa Marathon is one of the best experiences you will ever have. The pride that comes in knowing you are participating for something that has a huge impact is immeasurable.

The event is held to raise funds for conservation and community development projects across Kenya. Since its inception, the marathon has raised a total of 7 million US dollars. The event incorporates an unusual fundraising initiative with one of Kenya’s greatest sporting passions, running, something which has attracted enthusiasts from all over the country and the world in general. This unique marathon is exceptional in many ways and for its good cause, it continues to inspire the lives of many.

It was launched by Safaricom in collaboration with the Media Owners Association to actively engage in road safety issues. With the increased cases of road accidents and uncontrolled deaths, the company saw it best to partner with the Association and come up The National Road Safety Trust, in August 2012. The initiative designed a framework for a national road safety program, which addresses awareness creation, education, emergency response, research, advocacy, and traffic policy reform. Who can say that the initiative has not averted some fatal and inappropriate driving accidents on the Kenyan roads?

From the beautiful mountains to the sunny beaches, the exceptional wildlife, and the Kenyan cuisines, Kenya is the best in the world! It may sound like something you can barely pay attention to, but Safaricom’s This is My Kenya has elevated the country’s economy, especially the tourism sector. The platform allows people to collectively share beautiful Kenyan images to change the perception of our country as well as strengthen its economic presence. Nevertheless, it has empowered local citizens and increased eco-tourism.

Individuals and corporates can participate in the My Kenya Movement challenges. Whoever has a camera can take up the challenge and make Kenya proud by letting others know what is outside there.

Open Your Eyes Kenya aims at transforming and empowering the lives of more than 300,000 Kenyans who are visually impaired. It is an awareness initiative that can be accessed through the Open Your Eyes website, which apparently is inaccessible to sighted users to show the challenge of accessing Kenyan digital content by the blind in Kenya. I applaud the initiative and the good cause of wanting to make Kenya better.

This is a Bonga Point service that allows customers to redeem Bonga Points and pay for goods and services from select Lipa Na M-PESA outlets. Those who have lots of points to spare can use the service to go shopping or even fill up their car tanks for amazing road trips.

Over the years, Safaricom has held several campaigns and promotions aimed at rewarding its customers for their loyalty. Some of the promotions, such as the Lipa Na M-PESA promotion or the Maisha Ni M-PESA Tu promotion saw several individuals get apartments. Although not everyone won an apartment, it is worth noting that those who did really deserved the reward.

Safaricom has come through for many people out there. Although these 18 ways aren’t conclusive, we can all agree that we have benefitted a lot from their services. A conclusion without mentioning how you can nowadays reverse money sent to the wrong number isn’t really worth it. The service is a savior and a breakthrough for those like me who have sent money to the wrong person and never recovered.

That said, Happy 18th Anniversary Safaricom!

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