Safaricom Announces Record Ksh 80.13 Billion Dividend Payout

Safaricom PLC has announced a record dividend payout of Ksh 80.13 billion after reporting strong financial results for the year ending March 2026.

The company said shareholders will receive Ksh 2.00 per share, marking a 66.7% increase from the previous payout.

The dividend includes an interim payment of 85 cents per share and a final dividend of Ksh 1.15 per share.

Apart from the dividend payout, Safaricom also announced that its service revenue grew to Ksh 414 billion while net profit reached a record Ksh 100 billion.

The company further revealed that its customer base across Kenya and Ethiopia has now reached 72 million users.

Safaricom Chairman Speaks on Growth and Ethiopia Business

Safaricom Board Chairman Adil Khawaja said the company recorded strong growth despite continued investment in Ethiopia.

He said Safaricom’s Kenya business continued to perform well, especially through M-PESA and mobile data services.

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Khawaja added that Ethiopia is now starting to become an important part of the company after improvements in network coverage and market conditions.

“With network coverage now exceeding 50% and strong customer growth, Ethiopia is moving from rollout to scale,” he said.

He also said Safaricom’s renewed 25-year operating licence in Kenya gives the company confidence to continue investing in the country.

According to the chairman, Safaricom also continued supporting communities through programmes focused on education, digital access and financial inclusion.

CEO Highlights Technology and AI Plans

Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said FY2026 marked 25 years since the company was started.

He said Safaricom is now focusing on becoming a technology company by expanding digital services and using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve customer experience.

“AI is helping us improve customer experience, detect fraud and manage our network better,” Ndegwa said.

The CEO said Safaricom’s youth platform S-Hook now has more than 6 million users while B-Live data bundles have attracted over 5 million customers.

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He also said more than 30 million 4G-enabled devices are currently active on Safaricom’s network.

In the financial services business, Safaricom revealed that over 500,000 Kenyans have joined Ziidi Trader, allowing users to invest in the stock market using their phones.

The company also addressed complaints about its new unified app after some customers faced challenges during onboarding and roaming.

Ndegwa apologised to customers affected and said the app is now stable, with over 3 million users already onboard.

At the same time, Safaricom said its Ethiopia business is becoming a key growth area for the company.

According to the company, Ethiopia contributed 15% of the group’s revenue growth during the financial year.

Safaricom Ethiopia now has 13.6 million customers using its mobile network and 5.2 million active M-PESA users supported by more than 70,000 merchants.

The company added that losses in Ethiopia reduced by half during the year as the business continued to grow.

Safaricom also said it managed to achieve the strong results despite investing more than USD 1.2 billion in Ethiopia without increasing its debt levels.

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Safaricom HQ along Waiyaki Way. PHOTO/Business Today