Safaricom has launched a programme, Lipa Mdogo Mdogo, to enable Kenyans to buy 4G smartphone devices for as low as Sh20 per day.
The new campaign seeks to empower an extra one million customers to upgrade to 4G enabled devices in this financial year, CEO Peter Ndegwa said.
Ndegwa said the package, in partnership with Google, is based on insights and learning from the Maisha Ni Digital campaign that saw over one million customers acquiring 4G enabled devices.
The announcement was made as the company released financial results for the year ended March 31, 2020 which saw the telco's profit for the year grow by 19.5% with service revenue growing to Sh251.2 billion.
“Smartphone device is critical in supporting the new realities brought about by Covid-19. This proposition aims to support Kenyans during and beyond this pandemic by enabling them access more opportunities, be it learning, working or running businesses from the comfort of their homes,” Ndegwa said.
“Android’s goal has always been to bring the power of computing to everyone. Access to the opportunities the internet offers is critical for any nations’ economic growth and social inclusion. Majority of Kenyans and Africans at large access the internet via mobile broadband."
In Kenya approximately 60% of the mobile phone install base is still on 2G feature phones and 40% smartphones with key barriers to people coming online being device and data affordability.
"We believe that this collaboration with Safaricom will bring more Kenyans access and the means to partake in the opportunities that exist online,” Mariama Abdullahi, Director, Android and Platforms Partnerships for Africa said.
