Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest telecoms company, is piloting a social messaging app that will link to its mobile money platform. This is an attempt to move the company into the application business, the company said on Tuesday. The concept has similarities with China’s top social messaging app WeChat, where users can perform a variety of tasks, from payments to ride-hailing, without leaving the platform. The introduction of Bonga is part of Safaricom’s strategy to boost revenue and diversify from offerings of voice calls, mobile money and text messages. Its first-half 2017 results showed revenue from mobile money rose 16 percent, while revenue from phone calls rose by far less - only 4 percent.

Source: The Star May 02, 2018 04:30 UTC