Safaricom Brings Stock Trading to M-Pesa in Kenya.

Kenya’s largest telecoms operator, Safaricom, has launched a new stock-trading service embedded directly within its M-Pesa mobile money platform. This move could significantly widen retail participation in the country’s capital markets.

The service, branded Ziidi Trader, enables M-Pesa users to buy shares listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) without opening a conventional brokerage account. By integrating equity trading into a widely used mobile payments platform, Safaricom is lowering entry barriers for millions of small investors.

Safaricom, a pioneer of mobile money since launching M-Pesa in 2007, currently serves around 35 million users in Kenya. Over the years, the platform has expanded beyond payments to include savings, credit, and investment products, positioning it as a central pillar of Kenya’s digital financial ecosystem.

Ziidi Trader is operated in partnership with Kestrel Capital, a Nairobi-based brokerage firm. Since its introduction, the platform has reportedly accounted for about 40 percent of trades on the NSE, translating into roughly 5 percent of total daily market turnover, highlighting early traction among retail investors.

The launch coincides with renewed momentum in Kenya’s equity market, driven by rising interest in emerging-market assets and improving investor sentiment. It also aligns with the Kenyan government’s broader agenda to expand citizen participation in capital markets ahead of next year’s August presidential election.

Ziidi Trader builds on Safaricom’s growing investment offering under the Ziidi brand. The first product, Ziidi Money Market Fund, was launched in January 2025 and saw rapid uptake, signaling strong demand for accessible investment products delivered through mobile platforms.

Safaricom has not disclosed whether Ziidi Trader will be extended to other M-Pesa markets, including Ethiopia, where mobile money usage is expanding following telecom sector liberalisation. However, analysts say the Kenyan rollout could serve as a test case for broader regional expansion, particularly in markets seeking to deepen retail investor participation through digital channels.

The move underscores a broader trend across Africa, where telecom-led financial platforms are increasingly blurring the lines between payments, banking, and capital markets.