Safaricom PLC is expanding its services beyond airtime, data, and mobile money by introducing a suite of business software solutions under its Safaricom Business brand. The new offering targets a wide range of users, including small shops, schools, and larger enterprises.
The platform brings together tools across five key areas: school management, retail point-of-sale systems, human resources and payroll, business communications, and a locally built enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. While these categories already exist in the market, Safaricom’s approach focuses on packaging them into a single, integrated solution that allows businesses to manage operations, payments, and customer interactions in one place.
This move reflects a broader shift in strategy, as the company positions itself beyond enabling transactions to becoming part of the daily systems businesses rely on to operate. By offering bundled services, Safaricom aims to simplify how businesses access and use digital tools.
With its large user base and strong integration with M-PESA, the company is able to distribute these products widely, reduce barriers to adoption, and scale faster than many local software providers. This could make it easier for businesses that have not previously used such systems to adopt digital tools in a more connected format.
At the same time, the expansion introduces new competitive pressure for smaller technology firms already operating in these segments. The development highlights Safaricom’s focus on capturing more value within Kenya’s digital economy by embedding its services deeper into how businesses run their day-to-day operations.
