Safaricom Deepens Financial Services with Investment Platform Expansion

Kenya’s largest telecom operator, Safaricom, is making significant inroads into the retail investment market through its mobile money platform, M-PESA. Assets in the company’s Ziidi fund—accessible via M-PESA—more than doubled to KES 18.7 billion ($145 million) for the year ended March 2026. This expansion positions Safaricom as a competitor in sectors traditionally dominated by banks, asset managers, and brokerage firms.

Investment Momentum Builds on M-PESA

The surge in Ziidi fund assets reflects broader growth in wealth products on the platform, which now manages KES 21 billion ($162 million) total. This momentum follows February’s launch of Ziidi Trader, allowing users to buy and sell listed securities directly through their mobile phones.

M-PESA Transforms into Financial Super App

With Kenya’s mobile money market already mature in terms of person-to-person transfers and merchant payments, Safaricom is strategically evolving M-PESA from a transaction platform to a comprehensive financial services ecosystem. The company processed KES 41.7 trillion ($323 billion) in transactions during the year, serving nearly 41 million active users across various applications.

Strategic Implications for Kenyan Financial Landscape

The expansion caters to changing consumer habits, particularly among younger demographics who increasingly prefer digital channels for savings, investments, and other financial activities. This shift presents both opportunities and challenges:

• For Safaricom: The company can capture a larger share of customers’ wallets by offering integrated services.
• For banks: Increased competition in deposit-taking, payments processing, and lending.
• For investors: Greater access to capital markets through low-barrier entry points.

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa highlighted the company’s FY27 strategy: “We will accelerate growth by deepening customer value through more personalized, affordable, and integrated propositions.” Additional savings, investment, insurance, and international money transfer services are planned for the coming year.