Safaricom’s M-PESA app is now the most downloaded and the most used Kenyan app ever.
It has garnered 5 million customers, a feat that has never been achieved before for an app made for Kenya.
The app testing phase started back in 2020 or earlier. Its official rollout happened in 2021 to mass adoption.
The carrier did a good job informing people about its existence, and still does to date via advertisements of media and text messages.
The fact that the app is packed to the brim with a ton of features has also made it a good bet for millions of Kenyans.
It has features such as sending cash to many, offline mode that allows it to work even without an internet connection (buggy still), biometrics authentication that lets users complete transactions via a fingerprint or facial recognition (we still advise you to use a PIN), mini apps that lets third-party services plug in their offerings in the app (such as BuuPass for bus booking, ProGas, et al.) and revamped, M-Ledger-esque statements, to mention a few.
The M-PESA app complements mySafaricom App, which was launched way earlier. mySafaricom offers nearly identical features like the M-PESA app, but both apps are very different (more of this in another day).
Back to mini apps, Safaricom says it will add NSSF services to the app, which will allow customers to access the service wherever they may be without the need to physically walk into an NSSF office or download a separate app.
As part of the launch, the first 1,000 NSSF members to make contributions through the NSSF M-PESA Mini App will get an extra 10% free topped up to their account.
The NSSF M-PESA Mini App comes on the back of the November 2019 launch of Haba Haba, a savings plan for business people in the jua kali sector.
Haba Haba gives members a chance to save a minimum of Ksh. 25 a day, with the option of withdrawing 50% of their contribution after consistently contributing for a minimum of 5 years.
Unlike mySafaricom app, the M-PESA app has Pochi La Biashara option, which you can read about here.
We are also looking forward to the operator stabilizing the app in the coming days as customers continue to report their fair share of app failures from time to time. This is an issue the operator has managed to address in the mySafaricom app, so, fingers crossed.
Quotes
“The demand for NSSF services and the need to save for pension has gone beyond formally employed people to entrepreneurs, especially those running medium and small businesses. It has therefore become necessary to partner with organizations such as Safaricom to extend the reach of our services, including through smartphones on the NSSF M-PESA Mini App,” said Dr. Anthony Omerikwa, Managing Trustee – NSSF.
“We continue to explore different ways to provide our customers with even more convenience and access to useful services by establishing key partnerships with organisations such as NSSF. The NSSF Mini App will go a long way in providing customers with an exceptional user experience while providing them with the freedom to access services on their smartphones at any time through the M-PESA Super App,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO – Safaricom.
