Safaricom's Safire Connect campaign concludes its initial season
In a bid to support taxi-hailing drivers and owners, Safaricom has launched the Safire Connect campaign. This initiative offers tailored solutions and services to help these entrepreneurs grow their businesses sustainably within Kenya's mobility ecosystem.
The campaign, which has been held in five locations including Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, and most recently in Nairobi, aims to provide a platform for learning, building skills, and obtaining practical solutions that can develop businesses. William Murithi, Senior Faculty in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, and Family Business at Strathmore Business School, is leading the collaboration at Strathmore University with the Safire Connect campaign.
Safaricom's approach combines education, technology, financial services, and mentorship. Through the Safire Connect Forums, taxi-hailing drivers are educated on smart money management, entrepreneurship, and credit awareness. Partners like DTB, Centonomy, and TransUnion provide insights on accessing finance and improving financial wellness, helping drivers better manage their businesses and qualify for credit facilities.
The campaign also equips drivers with digital tools tailored for their business needs, including training on how to use M-PESA and other mobile money services effectively. The focus is on digital upskilling to help drivers leverage technology for business growth and operational efficiency.
Moreover, the Safire Connect campaign promotes the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to increase productivity. Drivers learn how AI can be integrated into their everyday business to improve service delivery, customer engagement, and operational decision-making, thus helping them scale their ventures.
Networking and mentorship are also key components of the Safire Connect forums. These platforms serve as opportunities for taxi-hailing drivers to network with experts from institutions like Strathmore Business School and E-Mobilis, gaining mentorship that supports business growth and innovation within the mobility sector.
Safaricom is also offering short-term loans through their Taasi Pochi loan facilities, where one can borrow over a period of 14 to 30 days based on their needs. The event presented solutions for accessing overnight credit for businesses, such as those in the taxi-hailing industry.
Esther Waititu, chief financial services officer at Safaricom, emphasized the importance of providing tools for entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and become large corporations. The Nairobi event, according to Ms Waititu, marked the end of the current season of the Safaricom Safire Connect campaign, with plans to return in the last quarter of the year to engage with customers again.
Murithi stated that the goal of the Safaricom Safire Connect campaign is to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs with insights about the MPESA platform and to encourage them to become entrepreneurs. Strathmore Business School, with its expertise in training, building capacity in business people and leaders, plays a crucial role in this initiative.
Overall, the Safaricom Safire Connect campaign is a significant step towards empowering taxi-hailing drivers and other transport sector players, helping them to harness the power of technology, financial services, and education to grow their businesses and succeed in Kenya's competitive mobility market.
[1] Safaricom (2021). Safaricom Safire Connect campaign empowers taxi-hailing drivers. [online] Available at: https://www.safaricom.co.ke/news/safaricom-safire-connect-campaign-empowers-taxi-hailing-drivers [Accessed 15 May 2021].
[2] Nation (2021). Safaricom empowers taxi-hailing drivers with digital tools, AI and finance. [online] Available at: https://www.nation.co.ke/business/Safaricom-empowers-taxi-hailing-drivers-with-digital-tools-AI-and-finance/1066-5410640-15v88vqz/index.html [Accessed 15 May 2021].
[3] Business Daily (2021). Safaricom partners with institutions to empower taxi-hailing drivers. [online] Available at: https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/Safaricom-partners-with-institutions-to-empower-taxi-hailing-drivers/5410640-4800920-15v88vqz/index.html [Accessed 15 May 2021].
- The Safaricom Safire Connect campaign, which equips taxi-hailing drivers with digital tools, AI technologies, and financial insights, also offers short-term loans through their Taasi Pochi loan facilities to help drivers manage their finances and grow their businesses.
- Beyond education and mentorship, the Safaricom Safire Connect initiative, in collaboration with Strathmore Business School, aims to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs with insights about the MPESA platform to help them leverage technology, finance, and business skills for sustainable growth in Kenya's mobility sector.
