Pochi la Biashara Records 92% Growth Among Women Entrepreneurs

More than 900,000 women entrepreneurs in Kenya are now actively using Safaricom’s Pochi la Biashara after the number of female users grew by 92% in just one year.

According to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) report, Women now account for just over 52 % of active Pochi la Biashara users, highlighting the growing adoption of digital payment solutions among women running micro-enterprises across the country.

The report attributes the rapid growth to Safaricom’s approach of designing Pochi la Biashara around the everyday needs of women entrepreneurs, rather than simply offering a digital payments platform.

Pochi la Biashara Records Higher Growth Among Women Entrepreneurs

GSMA noted that many women entrepreneurs face unique challenges in running their businesses, including separating business and personal finances, protecting themselves from payment reversals, and ensuring privacy and safety when receiving digital payments.

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The report further noted that Pochi la Biashara was designed to address these challenges through features such as separate business wallets, irreversible customer payments, transaction mini-statements, and enhanced privacy controls.

However, beyond simplifying digital payments, the report found that women who adopted Pochi la Biashara experienced broader business benefits.

Unlike many mobile money products, Pochi la Biashara has become one of the few M-PESA services where women make up the majority of active users.

Pochi la Biashara Records 92% Growth Among Women Entrepreneurs. Photo/ File

In addition, the report highlighted that women who adopted Pochi la Biashara reported more than just easier digital transactions, as they were able to save more consistently because separating business income from personal spending reduced unnecessary expenses.

The report also highlighted that women reported higher sales as more customers preferred cashless payments, while some said improved financial tracking helped them plan better and reinvest more money into their businesses.

Several women also said they felt more in control of their finances, explaining that they could clearly distinguish between business profits and household spending.

Why Adoption of Pochi La Biashara Continues to Grow Among Women

According to the report, trust from business owners has played a big part in driving the continued adoption of Pochi la Biashara among women entrepreneurs.

GSMA stated that women were more likely to sign up after recommendations from fellow entrepreneurs, while in-person demonstrations by Safaricom field representatives helped many understand how to use the platform’s features.

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The report also found that continued customer engagement, including education on different features and targeted messaging, encouraged users to become more active over time instead of limiting themselves to basic payment functions.

As a result, the increase in women users has resulted in strong business growth for Safaricom.

The number of Pochi la Biashara accounts has increased by more than 72 % year-on-year to around 1.5 million accounts, while revenue generated by Safaricom is said to have grown by 95 % to Ksh1.68 billion during the first half of the 2026 financial year.

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