Kenya’s leading telecommunications company, Safaricom, has in the last 26 years inspired growth in the digital space.
With the world quickly changing, Safaricom too has been moving at the same pace.
For example, the telecom changed the game in the interactive customer care spectrum with the introduction of Zuri, an automated assistant, built to boost customer’s experience.
The chatbot is available at the touch of a button and enables customers access marketing messages management services, chargeable SMS services deactivation, get PUK number, M-PESA reversal, chargeable SMS services, data bundles services, airtime top up, Safaricom home, brain teaser among so much more services.
With the launch of Hustler fund in December last year, the telco backed the loan scheme targeting people at the bottom of the pyramid and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Users can now access the funds from the comfort of their homes at zero cost by dialing *254#. As of February 20, 2023, nearly Sh19.6 billion had been disbursed to low-income earners.
With the introduction of Smart metering system, the telco has enabled public water companies cut leakages and theft. The public firms suffered annual system losses, with an average of 47% of water put into their distribution network not billed due to leakages, metering inaccuracies and theft. This is now a thing of the past.
The ravaging drought has affected many households in Kenya. Currently, approximately 20 million Kenyans do not have access to basic water services. Nearly 35 million people lack access to basic sanitation services, and 4 million have no sanitation facilities at all. The Smart metered system has ensured accountability and many households are beginning to reap the fruits of this digital solution.
Additionally, Safaricom has made sure that the enterprise customers have access to wide range of security solutions to protect their Information Technology (IT) systems. These services include Managed security solutions, security assurance and advisory services as well as managed security operations center solutions. Thus, Companies, enterprises, and individuals can now secure their emails and websites, manage vulnerabilities, test and audit IT systems and access real time monitoring among other services.
“M-PESA for Business” is also a revolutionary app empowering business owners to access real time statements, export statements and track their business performance on the go. Through the app, business owners can withdraw funds from Lipa Na M-PESA to their M-PESA accounts, bank accounts or at an agent. Business owners with a business till can also send money to other M-PESA customers such as to pay wages, pay for supplies and make payments to other businesses through the app.
In addition to making transactions from Lipa Na Mpesa tills, the app offers additional management features such as an overview of the different tills for business owners with multiple outlets and till usage management.
The app is also packed with rich, detailed reports including money-in-money-out charts, store overview and frequently used Lipa Na Mpesa tills and Paybills.
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