Safaricom: How M-PESA, AI and Education Are Changing Lives

Safaricom has outlined how its investments in education, financial inclusion, affordable internet and artificial intelligence are transforming lives across Kenya and Ethiopia, even as the telecommunications company posted record profits for the financial year ended March 2026.

Speaking during the release of Safaricom’s 2025/2026 financial results on Thursday, May 8 2026, Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said the company remains focused on improving lives through technology and community support programmes.

“Safaricom has always been about purpose. We bring our purpose to life through accessible products and services and through support to our communities,” Ndegwa said.

How Safaricom is Transforming Lives Through Financial Inclusion

One of the ways the company says it is transforming lives is through financial inclusion.

Safaricom revealed that 17.1 billion M-PESA Kadogo transactions, representing 58% of all M-PESA activity, were offered free of charge, allowing millions of Kenyans to send and receive small amounts of money without extra costs.

Also Read: Safaricom Announces Record Ksh 80.13 Billion Dividend Payout

The company also said more than two million customers have started saving and investing through the Ziidi Money Market Fund, giving many first-time users access to formal financial services.

In addition, over 500,000 retail investors are now using Ziidi Trader to buy and sell shares through their mobile phones, opening up stock market investment opportunities to ordinary Kenyans.

Investing in Education and Digital Skills

Safaricom also highlighted its efforts to improve education through the Citizens of the Future programme.

Under the initiative, the company plans to build and renovate 100 schools across the country, provide scholarships to 2,000 students every year for the next five years and train between 10,000 and 20,000 teachers on digital skills.

The company said the programme aims to prepare children and teachers for a technology-driven future while improving access to quality education.

“We believe investing in education is the most powerful thing we can do to secure the future of our children,” Ndegwa said.

The telecommunications giant further pointed to affordable internet access as another way it is improving lives.

Safaricom said it introduced lower-cost fibre internet packages for households and is piloting tokenised Wi-Fi services to help more low-income families access the internet and digital services.

The company added that it is also supporting Kenya’s affordable housing programme by ensuring new homes are connected to internet services from the first day.

AI and Technology Enabling Growth

On technology and innovation, Safaricom said it is increasingly using artificial intelligence to improve customer experience, detect fraud and strengthen network performance.

The company said AI is helping it make faster decisions, improve services and reduce operational costs, benefits it says are being passed on to customers through better pricing and service delivery.

Also Read: Big Boost for Home Internet as Safaricom Reduces Prices and Increases Speeds

Safaricom also highlighted support for youth, farmers and small businesses through targeted digital products and services.

The company said its youth platform, S-Hook, has grown to more than six million users, while B-Live data bundles have attracted over five million customers.

In Ethiopia, Safaricom said its services are helping expand digital and financial inclusion.

The company reported that its customer base in Ethiopia has grown to 13.6 million users, while M-PESA now has 5.2 million active customers supported by more than 70,000 merchants.

Safaricom said thousands of young people in Ethiopia are benefiting from training programmes, funding and digital tools aimed at improving incomes and livelihoods.

At the same time, the company posted strong financial results, with Kenya’s service revenue crossing the Ksh400 billion mark for the first time.

Net income grew by 24.7% to Sh119 billion, while the group announced a record dividend payout of Sh2 per share.

Ndegwa said Safaricom will continue investing in digital inclusion, affordable services and innovation as it works towards becoming Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by 2030.

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