Kenyan operator Safaricom has recently launched a campaign called Maisha Poa Ni Digital (Life Is Cool Digital), aiming to accelerate digital inclusion across Kenya, specifically by encouraging Kenyans to switch from 2G phones to affordable 4G smartphones.
According to a number of reports 4G network coverage now reaches over 97% of Kenya’s population, but many people still use basic 2G phones.
The Maisha Poa Ni Digital campaign addresses this gap by offering entry-level 4G smartphones bundled with 5.5GB of free data. These devices are available through a payment plan, allowing qualifying customers to pay a deposit of KES500 (about US$3.87) and daily instalments as low as KES30 (US$0.23)
The campaign aims to improve access to digital services like M-Pesa, eCitizen, and educational and health platforms, especially for people in rural and peri-urban areas.
Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom, has been widely quoted as saying: “A smartphone is a gateway to jobs, financial inclusion and empowerment. Our goal with this campaign is to bridge the digital divide by providing affordable smartphones and flexible payment plans."
This doesn’t appear to be a completely new initiative. Over two million smartphones have already been distributed through Safaricom’s device financing programme.
In fact it’s been some years since Safaricom, in partnership with Google, launched Maisha Ni Digital (Life Is Digital), a similar campaign to drive adoption and use of mobile internet. In 2019, the campaign introduced the most affordable 4G handset in Kenya for less than US$40, operating on Android Go, combined with customer support (both face to face and in print), simplified internet activation, and relevant content and use cases.
Safaricom has also been trying to extend take-up of in-home services in recent days. About a week ago the operator announced a partnership with leading retailer Quickmart to bring its 4G and 5G For Home internet solutions closer to customers.
To support this, Safaricom introduced self-service router activation, making it easier for customers to set up their routers post-purchase.
