tappi, the end-to-end digital commerce SaaS solution tailored for Africa’s micro, small and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs), has today announced its new partnership with Safaricom’s M-PESA. Aimed at empowering M-PESA’s 650,000-strong network of Kenyan MSMEs, the collaboration will provide innovative digital solutions to bolster their online credibility and visibility, signalling the latest phase of tappi’s rapid expansion journey over the last 12 months.
Launched on the M-PESA For Business Super App, the partnership marks M-PESA’s drive to expand its suite of services for the 650,000 users registered for its business till number, and over 50 million monthly active users across several African countries. With tappi becoming one of the first mini apps to feature on M-PESA For Business, the startup will deliver a subsidised package equipping M-PESA’s merchants to build their online presence, capture verified reviews and strengthen engagement with an expanded customer base.
For Ksh.1,350 (approximately $11), merchants will receive access to a free webpage, 50 SMS/WhatsApp reviews, which will be integrated into the merchant’s websites, as well as 250 Bulk SMS Marketing Credits. As part of the collaboration, M-PESA Ratiba, a new automated solution allowing M-PESA users to automate their online payments, has also been included in the tappi mini app, enabling business owners to seamlessly pay their monthly subscriptions without disruptions.
Kenfield Griffith, CEO and Co-Founder of tappi, states, “This partnership is a significant milestone for tappi and a huge endorsement of the value Safaricom and tappi look to generate for MSMEs across Kenya. With over 35mn subscribers, M-PESA has long established itself as the engine through which millions of local entrepreneurs handle their transactions, and with many of these businesses constantly looking for new customers, our tools will be a crucial springboard in driving them to achieve this within an online setting.”
“In Safaricom, we’re proud to partner with one of the most innovative telcos in the market. We firmly believe this will be the first of many steps in our shared mission for MSMEs to not only become active but thriving participants in the digital economy.”
Targeted to reach at least 300,000 M-PESA for Business App users, the partnership has officially launched with an initial cohort of over 250 M-PESA For Business app users across the food, fashion, health and beauty sectors throughout Kenya. tappi’s solutions will build on the M-PESA For Business app’s existing functionalities which include viewing collections, statements and payments as well as transacting directly from the M-PESA till number.
“We are happy to onboard tappi as our first mini-app partner on the M-PESA Business app. This partnership seeks to empower our merchants with affordable and innovative tools and capabilities to grow their businesses. We look forward to driving financial inclusion through building the capacities of small and medium sized businesses, enhancing customer experience thus contributing to the Kenyan economy,” said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom’s CEO.
tappi’s collaboration with Safaricom marks the latest in a series of moves over the last 12 months to capture Africa’s $20bn market to bridge the digital divide for the continent’s MSMEs. In May 2024, the startup signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) to drive digital services for 30,000 Kenyan MSMEs. This followed its expansion to Côte d’Ivoire in March 2024 in partnership with MTN, whom tappi has also partnered with across its additional market, Nigeria.
With a 90% retention rate and a 1.5-month payback period since its inception in 2019, the platform has captured verified reviews on $3.4 million consumer transactions, and engaged with over 180,000 consumers to date, underscoring its commitment to driving digital inclusion and supporting MSMEs across Africa.
According to USAID (US Agency for International Development), MSMEs generate nearly a third of Kenya’s total GDP. However, despite their significant economic impact, numerous businesses still face significant hurdles in establishing a trusted online presence. This is primarily due to current tools being too complex, the requirements for an international credit card or the listing of websites in places where trust is difficult to gauge, establishing significant hurdles to access and convert new customers.
Through its powerful end-to-end digital commerce stack, tappi addresses these challenges by facilitating a seamless online business profile creation process through an intuitive chat experience. Leveraging payments, messaging and AI, the platform is quickly establishing itself as the SEO backbone to boost revenue for MSMEs across Africa, helping businesses gain visibility, consolidate payments with verified reviews to build online trust and pay for online Ads with mobile airtime.