Kenya:Lipa na M-Pesa grows during covid-19 pandemic

By Samuel Ouma

The number of customers using Lipa na M-Pesa services has risen from 1 million in January to 6 million today, announced the Safaricom.

Consequently, the number of businesses on Lipa  na M-Pesa platform has also crossed the 200,000 mark.

Lipa Na MPESA in Kenya is a service offered by Safaricom Company that allows businesspersons to receive payments for goods and services via Mpesa in Kenya. It enables customers to pay for goods and services without being charged the transaction fee.

“The mobile phone has today become the most preferred alternative to cash and its popularity only continues to grow. More than ever, an increasing number of businesses are discovering the numerous advantages of cashless payments resulting in high growth for Lipa Na M-Pesa,” said the telco’s CEO Peter Ndegwa.

The retail sector leads the number of businesses using the service followed by the hospitality industry, general trade, and distributions.

In June 2020, the mobile service provider launched Lipa na M-Pesa Business smartphone app to allow businesses to access real-time statements, export statements, and track their business performance on the go.

“At Safaricom, we are taking a focus on the needs of small and medium businesses to provide them with suitable technology solutions to help them grow. The M-PESA for Business smartphone App is one such solution. It empowers more than 170,000 businesses across the country to send money and make payments and provides them with simple and detailed reports from the convenience of the mobile phone,” said Peter Ndegwa.