Safaricom Launches M-PESA Super App with Offline Mode and Mini Apps

Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) has launched a new M-PESA for Business App and M-PESA Super App for customers that introduce Mini Apps and Offline Modes for easy transactions.

The new “Offline Mode” enables customers to use the M-PESA Super App and complete transactions even without data bundles or when totally offline.

Mini-Apps will enable customers and businesses to complete day-to-day and occasional tasks within the M-PESA Super App and M-PESA for Business App, including deliveries, ticket booking, shopping, license applications, insurance, and much more from hundreds of businesses, government agencies, utilities, and other firms.

Speaking during the launch, Safaricom CEO, Peter Ndegwa noted that smartphones have increasingly become popular as they connect customers to more opportunities empowering them to achieve more at work, in their business, when learning, and even for entertainment.

“In response, we have designed the M-PESA Super App to enhance our customers’ experience every time they use the service, providing them with a simple, fun, secure, and convenient digital solution,” said Mr. Ndegwa.

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Customers can access the Mini-Apps through the “Discover” option on the App while merchants on Lipa Na M-PESA can do so through the “Hub” option on the M-PESA for Business App.

The first services available as Mini-Apps include Madaraka SGR ticketing, long-distance bus booking with BuuPass, event tickets on Mtickets, shopping gift vouchers on GiftPesa Vouchers, insurance services on eBima, and gas delivery from Pro-Gas.

Mini-Apps for businesses on Lipa Na M-PESA will be available in the coming weeks under the “Hub” option.

Besides the Mini-Apps and Offline Mode, the M-PESA Super App provides customers with a range of other convenient features. These include fingerprint and face unlock and transaction authentication, detailed usage statements, and an easy-to-use and fun design. Customers can therefore use fingerprint or face unlock to confirm a transaction in place of their M-PESA PINs.

More unique features available on the app include an M-PESA “Send to Many” option where customers can make multiple transactions to different recipients but only need to enter their PIN or authentication once.

Customers using the app can equally “Request Money” from a sender who will only need to confirm the transaction by keying their PIN.

In addition, for the first time, M-PESA customers will enjoy the option to personalize transactions by attaching a GIF when sending money or by adding descriptions to transaction details. Such descriptions will be useful to provide personal explanations of transactions.

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The M-PESA Super App has equally been designed to provide customers with a variety of convenient options when sending and receiving money including the addition of Pochi La Biashara and M-PESA Global options. With M-PESA Global customers can send money to other mobile phone customers around East Africa, and to other countries directly into bank accounts, Western Union, or link and transact through PayPal.

More than 1.3 million customers have downloaded the M-PESA Super App while more than 100,000 businesses have downloaded the M-PESA for Business App since their introduction in December and June 2020 respectively.

To mark the launch of the new features, Safaricom will award all customers who book SGR tickets on the Madaraka Express Mini-App with 10% of the value back into their M-PESA accounts.

All customers who download the M-PESA Super App for the first time will get 500 MB of free Safaricom data. In addition, every 10th customer to download the app for the first time over the next three days will get KES 500 into their M-PESA account.