This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
On November 29, 2019, Safaricom and the Postal Corporation of Kenya partnered with Taz Technologies' MPost to launch digital Post Office Boxes across the country.
The innovative service allows Safaricom customers to register for a Post Office Box linked to their mobile number, with the option to select their preferred Post Office by keying in the Postal Code of the branch. Customers can also change their preferred Post Office at no additional cost by dialling 234#.
"We have invested in the MPost innovation to meet the shifting demands of our customers in a modern, digital world," said Dan Kagwe, Post Master General and CEO, Postal Corporation of Kenya. "This partnership will enable Safaricom's more than 34 million customers to access postal services from the 625 Postal outlets spread across the country, directly from their mobile phones," he added.
Customers using the service will receive their mail at no cost, just like a traditional box, and will receive an SMS notification whenever they have mail to be collected at their Postal Branch. The mail can then be collected over the next 7 days over the counter.
The partnership aims to address numerous challenges faced by Kenyans around postal services and logistics, including the failure of postal services to deliver mail due to uncollected items, and the sharing of postal boxes compromising privacy and confidentiality.
"Kenya's economy is increasingly digitizing, leading to the growth of online delivery of goods and services," said Michael Joseph, CEO, Safaricom. "Posta's logistical capabilities and Post Office branch network are well placed to meet this shift. We are therefore coming together to create value for our customers by empowering them to conveniently and affordably receive parcels and goods wherever they may be across the country," he added.
