Safaricom’s Ziidi Trader Wins Fintech of the Year 2026 at African Banker Awards

Safaricom’s M-PESA-based investment platform, Ziidi Trader, has been named Fintech of the Year 2026 at the 20th African Banker Awards held in Congo-Brazzaville.

The award recognises the platform’s strong role in making investing easier and more accessible for everyday Kenyans.

Ziidi Trader allows users to buy and sell shares on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) directly from their mobile phones through the M-PESA app.

According to reports from the African Banker Awards and financial industry coverage, the platform stood out for its impact on financial inclusion and capital market participation across Africa.

Ziidi Trader was developed through a partnership between Safaricom and the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), with implementation support from brokerage partners.

The service is embedded inside the M-PESA ecosystem, meaning users do not need a traditional brokerage account to invest.

Users can:

• View listed companies on the NSE
• Buy and sell shares directly from their M-PESA wallet
• Track investments and portfolio performance
• Access market updates and trading tools

The system removes several traditional barriers such as paperwork, minimum account requirements, and complex onboarding processes.

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Boosting financial inclusion in Kenya through Ziidi Trader

Before platforms like Ziidi Trader, many Kenyans found the stock market difficult to access due to high entry barriers and reliance on brokers.

Now, the integration of trading into M-PESA has opened the door for millions of mobile money users to invest.

Also Read: Safaricom Launches Ziidi Trader, Enables Share Trading via M-PESA-How It Works

Reports show that the platform has already increased retail participation on the NSE and contributed to higher trading activity since launch.

Since its rollout in 2026, Ziidi Trader has been credited with driving an increase in trading activity on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Some reports indicate that it has accounted for a significant share of daily market activity, showing strong adoption among retail investors.

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Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa at the results presentation in Nairobi on May 12
PHOTO/Safaricom