Safaricom has been doing many things, including taking part in partnerships with other companies that aim to make your life run smoother.
In Jan 2020, the telco collaborated with Circle Gas (M-Gas) that saw customers access cooking gas at an affordable price and flexible payment model.
The partnership was fronted as a need to empower millions of Kenyan homes to get access to clean (LPG is as clean as they come), affordable and dependable cooking gas. It has since been extended for the next couple of days.
The partnership has been expanded to enable ‘joint technology development, expertise sharing, co-creation of solutions, and market support between the two firms.’
Safaricom says that the collaboration brought clean and affordable energy within the reach of millions of Kenyan households.
The M-Gas smart meter connects to Safaricom’s Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network and accepts payment through M-PESA unlocking the service for millions of customers, in turn driving financial inclusion.
As said, the two firms first announced their partnership in January 2020 with Safaricom acquiring an 18.39% stake in Circle Gas.
Also, M-Gas has been expanding its services with one depot in Nairobi’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga neighbourhood with a goal of reaching 10,000 households by October 2020.
The company has already brought in more than 6,500 customers who have logged more than 200,000 cooking hours.
In subsequent phases, Circle Gas will expand its solution to more areas within Nairobi and to the rest of the country.
M-Gas depends on Safaricom’s M-PESA and NB-IoT network to manage payments and ensure the flow of gas for connected gas cylinders.
This then means customers can pay for the gas in small amounts of as little as KES 1 tackling the challenge of the high upfront cost of a cooker and cylinder and regular refills.
The NB-IoT network provides connectivity that enables M-Gas’ capability to replace the cylinder in a customer’s home before the gas runs out, providing a reliable virtual pipeline supply.
What they said
M-Gas seeks to bring clean, affordable, convenient and reliable cooking gas to millions of homes in Kenya who have previously been locked out by the prohibitive costs. We are glad to have a unique partner in Safaricom with their wide network and cutting-edge solutions providing the best launchpad for our pay-as-you-go innovation.
Volker Schultz, CEO of Circle Gas
Our partnership with M-Gas will bring clean, convenient and affordable gas to millions of Kenyan homes by taking advantage of our connectivity. M-Gas demonstrates how technology can be deployed as a force for good and is further helping us bring to life our purpose of transforming lives.
Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom
