Safaricom is still in its celebratory mood as it eases out of its teen years. They have been launching new products targeting both consumers and businesses especially SMEs.
As Safaricom marks its 20th Anniversary, it is increasingly pegging its future on SMEs by providing them with tailored technology solutions to market and grow their businesses.
The company recently launched M-PESA Business app that has made it easier to use and process Lipa na Mpesa payments to the over 186,000 merchants who use Lipa Na Mpesa.
Safaricom’s Mpesa for Business App Sees 50K Downloads, Lipa Na Mpesa Users Reach 186K
The telco giant has today launched a Skiza Mobile Advertising platform with the aim of supporting small to medium enterprises.
The platform will provide SMEs the opportunity to advertise their services as they recover from the COVID-19 economic impact, especially as customers limit their movement in line with heath guidelines.
“The Skiza Ad Service is an exciting innovation that seeks to provide an excellent platform for businesses across the country by better connecting them with customers and equally taking advantage of our wide reach. The platform will deliver to our customers even more value through free data and minutes whenever they enrol and listen to advertisements from our partners,” said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO speaking about the new platform.
How to join the Skiza Mobile Advertising platform as an SME
The service is offered in partnership with Adtones, who will provide the ad-serving platform and on-board advertisers. Businesses and other advertisers can place their adverts on the service by writing to AdTones on [email protected].
How to join the Skiza Mobile Advertising platform as a customer
- Dial *897# to subscribe to the Skiza Ad service
- Instead of the Skiza tune, customers will be served an ad
- Safaricom is offering rewards including either a free 1 minute call or 5MB of free data when you subscribe to listen to the ads
It’s worth noting noting that you’ll have to listen to three 6-second long ads before you get rewarded.
Adverts will be served at random to enrolled customers across the country
The same *897# USSD code will be used to check your rewards which you can redeem for non-expiring data or talktime.
The accumulated minutes and data are valid until first day of every month and once redeemed assume a no-expiry validity on the customer’s line.
You can also unsubscribe using the same code. Customers who unsubscribe keeping accumulated resources to the first day of the following month.
Skiza Ad service will drive customer retention by providing a value-added service that supports customers with free data and minutes especially when they are unable to purchase airtime.
What They’re Saying
“We are enthusiastic to launch the Skiza Ads service in Kenya using the Adtones global media platform. This is an innovative socially responsible win-win media service in partnership with Safaricom through which Adtones aims to empower and give back to mobile users. The platform will benefit millions of Safaricom customers with rewards and useful media information”
“We are particularly proud to help thousands of Kenya entrepreneurs who will be using this new means of interacting and communicating with their target audiences in a transparent, cost-effective and rewarding manner,” said the Adtones founders Ben Lynch and Gaspare Manos.
