Small businesses will receive reduced pricing for fiber connections
Safaricom Offers 25% Discount on Business Fibre Connections
In a bid to support the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Kenya, Safaricom has announced a 25% discount on all new business fibre connections for two months starting from early August 2025. This offer is aimed at businesses located in fibre-ready buildings and is part of Safaricom's broader strategy to improve access to fast and reliable internet for SMEs.
The discount applies to various business fibre plans, with the 15 Mbps plan reduced from KES 2,999 to KES 2,249, and the 100 Mbps plan from KES 6,299 to KES 4,724. This move is intended to help MSMEs overcome barriers such as high internet costs and limited capital, thereby facilitating digital uptake and growth.
Safaricom is also bundling this fibre discount with business credit solutions. These solutions leverage transaction history and real-time business data to offer flexible financing tailored to entrepreneurs' needs. This initiative was announced at the Grow with Safaricom Business Forum in Nairobi, emphasising connectivity alongside financing, digitisation, and market access as pillars to support MSME growth.
According to Safaricom's Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Franklin Okata, the company has introduced business credit solutions that provide practical, accessible, and flexible credit tailored to entrepreneurs' needs. This initiative is positioned as a tactical move to increase internet adoption among MSMEs, helping to address the high failure rate of small businesses (over 70% fail within three years, often due to cash flow and market access issues).
The Grow with Safaricom Business forum aims to equip MSMEs with tools and knowledge to digitise operations, improve customer experience, and scale their ventures. The forums, which have reached over 1,000 businesses in various regions since their inception in March 2024, provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas on how to leverage digital technologies to enhance market reach, streamline operations, and create a strong brand presence online.
The forum's theme was Fuelling Financial Growth through Innovation, as previously announced during the Grow with Safaricom Business forums in Nairobi. The series of forums also focus on digitising operations and improving customer experience to help businesses scale their ventures. More than 80% of the working population in Kenya is employed by MSMEs, making this initiative crucial for the nation's economic growth.
Laura Chite, the business forums' organiser and Safaricom's Chief Commercial Officer, stated that the forums aim to empower entrepreneurs, share knowledge, and foster innovation in the business sector. The forums provide a platform for businesses to collaborate and grow, as presented by Safaricom's Chief Commercial Officer.
In conclusion, the 25% discount on new business fibre connections by Safaricom is a time-limited promotion aimed specifically at MSMEs in fibre-ready locations, combined with credit support to improve their internet affordability and foster digital business growth in Kenya. This initiative is a significant step towards addressing the challenges faced by small businesses and supporting the growth of the Kenyan economy.
[1] Kenya National Bureau of Statistics reports that over 70% of small businesses fail within their first three years, primarily due to cash flow or market challenges. [2] Safaricom's business credit solutions are designed to address common challenges faced by small businesses, such as cash flow and market difficulties. [3] Nearly half of these businesses do not survive past their third year. [4] The forums' theme is Fuelling Financial Growth through Innovation, as previously announced during the Grow with Safaricom Business forums in Nairobi. [5] The business forums hosted by Safaricom provide a platform for entrepreneurs to exchange ideas on how to leverage digital technologies to enhance market reach, streamline operations, and create a strong brand presence online.
- To further aid the growth of small businesses in Kenya, Safaricom's business credit solutions are designed to address common challenges such as cash flow and market difficulties, often cited as causes for the high failure rate of small businesses.
- Recognizing the transformative potential of technology in business, the Grow with Safaricom Business forum's theme is Fuelling Financial Growth through Innovation, focusing on digitising operations and improving customer experience to help businesses scale their ventures.
- The epaper industry could benefit significantly from these initiatives, as improved access to fast and reliable internet coupled with flexible financing solutions could help digitalise operations, reduce costs, and foster growth for news organisations and other businesses in the sector.
