Nairobi: TECHz – News Desk
Safaricom has officially rolled out its customer-centric “Pata More” campaign, introducing significant enhancements to data bundle allocations, sweeping reductions in M-PESA transaction fees, and upgraded home fibre speeds.
The initiative aligns with the telco’s Vision 2030 roadmap to become Africa’s leading purpose-led technology company by prioritizing digital inclusion and everyday affordability. By shifting its strategic focus towards customer retention in a maturing market, Safaricom aims to deliver more value per shilling without increasing baseline prices.
In response to the growing demand for mobile internet driven by remote work, video streaming, and online commerce, Safaricom has permanently boosted data packages across the board. The new tiers deliver substantially more data at no additional cost to the subscriber. The Sh20 daily bundle now offers 250MB, up from 150MB. The Sh99 daily bundle has been increased to 1.5GB, up from 1GB. Additionally, the Sh1,000 monthly bundle has more than doubled to 21.5GB, up from the previous 10.2GB.
To provide relief for small traders and households, Safaricom has overhauled its M-PESA tariff structure, effective August 7, 2026. Aligning with the Central Bank of Kenya’s push for customer-centric pricing, the revised structure slashes merchant transfer costs by up to 50 percent. The new thresholds allow micro-entrepreneurs using the Lipa na M-PESA “Buy Goods” service to receive customer payments up to Sh500 entirely free of charge, a sharp increase from the previous Sh200 limit. Users of the Pochi la Biashara service can send up to Sh200 for free, with fees for transactions above that capped at Sh50 for the next 90 days.
For business owners transferring cash from their till to their personal M-PESA wallets through the Pay to Mobile service, the first Sh100 remains completely free. For amounts above this, costs have been dramatically reduced. Transfers between Sh101 and Sh500 now cost Sh4 instead of Sh7, representing a 43% reduction. Transfers from Sh501 to Sh1,000 drop from Sh13 to Sh7, while amounts between Sh1,501 and Sh2,500 are now Sh17, down from Sh33. For larger transfers between Sh15,001 and Sh20,000, the fee has been nearly halved from Sh105 to Sh53.
Beyond mobile connectivity and payments, the “Pata More” initiative enhances Safaricom’s wider digital ecosystem. Safaricom Fibre customers will experience internet speeds up to 2.5 times faster across various plans. “Fibre for Business” users are receiving built-in cybersecurity protections that detect suspicious activity and block malicious websites in real time. Motorists subscribing to Bundle Ya Dereva and Bundle Ya Boda now get combined productivity tools, including free access to Google Maps, ride-hailing applications, and Tuunza Mapato insurance. Finally, account management and customer support have been consolidated into the Safaricom One App, featuring deeper integration with the AI-powered Zuri assistant.
