This archive report was first published on 23 August 2019.
On August 23, 2019, Safaricom paid Sh22 billion in M-Pesa commissions to its agents during the last financial year, a 12% increase from the previous year.
This significant payout was the highest made in recent years and represented a substantial investment in the company's agency network, which promotes sustainable business practices along the value chain.
According to Safaricom's 2019 Sustainability Report, the company also paid out another Sh11 billion in commissions to airtime vendors, down from Sh11.4 billion the previous year due to increased airtime purchases from M-Pesa accounts.
Chairman Nicholas Nga'ng'a stated, “Last year, we focused on the theme of Shared Value and…building on this theme, we deployed a more advanced approach to our sustainability agenda in 2019, by focusing on activities aimed at reducing inequalities, as envisioned by Sustainable Development Goal 10.”
As part of its sustainability efforts, Safaricom signed a partnership with Stanbic to finance agent head offices with a cumulative Sh1 billion in financing issued weekly.