Safaricom Emerges as Benchmark in Customer Experience as Network Issues Persist Across Telcos

Safaricom has emerged as the benchmark for customer experience in Kenya’s telecommunications sector, according to a new survey comparing service delivery across major mobile operators Safaricom, Airtel, Telkom Kenya, and Jamii Telecom.

The survey assessed key areas including network reliability, broadband quality, billing efficiency, complaints handling, and customer care, revealing that while network-related challenges remain the most pressing concern across all telcos, Safaricom continues to outperform its competitors in several critical service areas.

Notably, Safaricom recorded the strongest customer care satisfaction levels, with 70.6 per cent of respondents expressing satisfaction, slightly ahead of Airtel at 69.8 per cent. The operator also stood out for its superior complaints-handling framework, emerging as the industry benchmark with 78.9 per cent customer awareness of its complaints channels and 80.6 per cent citing ease of access.

In addition, Safaricom reported significantly fewer coverage-related complaints at 25.7 per cent, reinforcing perceptions of stronger network stability and reliability compared to its rivals. The survey further shows that Safaricom, alongside Airtel, delivers a relatively stronger overall customer experience, with satisfaction scores averaging around 64 per cent.

While Airtel was recognised as the most affordable provider, with 47.1 per cent of respondents citing cost advantages, it also recorded the highest number of network-related complaints. Airtel faced the most coverage complaints at 64.8 per cent and had the highest incidence of call drops at 39.2 per cent, highlighting ongoing quality-of-service challenges.

Meanwhile, Telkom Kenya and Jamii Telecom were flagged for persistent network congestion and slow service responsiveness, issues that the survey found continue to undermine customer trust and satisfaction among their users.

Overall, the findings position Safaricom as the sector’s reference point for customer care, complaints management, and network stability, even as the industry grapples with persistent network reliability challenges. The survey underscores the need for continued investment in infrastructure and service responsiveness across all operators to meet rising customer expectations in Kenya’s increasingly digital economy.

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