Million at Stake as Safaricom Rolls out Celebration of 25 Years in Operation

By Mwakwaya Raymond & Harrison Kivisu

Email, thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com

Safaricom PLC has launched a nationwide customer promotion dubbed ‘Shangwe @25’ to celebrate 25 years of innovation, growth, and social impact in Kenya’s telecommunications sector.

Speaking in Mtwapa during the coastal region launch of the promotion, the Group Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO) at Safaricom Mr. James Maitai said the campaign is designed to reward customer loyalty while giving back to communities across the country.

“As we mark this milestone, we celebrate not just our journey but the millions of customers, partners, and communities who have made it possible. Shangwe @25’ is our way of saying thank you ensuring that when one customer wins, their community wins too,” said Maitai.

As part of the promotion, 25 customers will each win KSh1 million, with an additional KSh250,000 dedicated to supporting a community project of their choice reinforcing Safaricom’s philosophy of shared prosperity.

The company will also reward 25 small and micro enterprises (SMEs) with Bajaj tricycles to boost business mobility, while 15 medium and large enterprises will each receive KSh500,000 to fund local impact initiatives. In addition, five SMEs will win business stock worth KSh250,000 every week.

The promotion will further see millions of customers win daily and weekly prizes, including airtime, data bundles, mobile devices, 5G routers, and instant M-PESA cash prizes ranging between KSh100 and KSh10,000.

Overall, over five million customers are expected to win throughout the campaign.

This year’s festive season will also introduce the ‘Green Box’ experience, through which customers will unwrap surprise gifts ranging from devices to festive treats such as chicken, goats, and sheep spreading joy to households nationwide.

Maitai assured customers that the company has implemented strict verification and public awareness measures to safeguard participants against fraudsters exploiting the promotion. “We know fraudsters may attempt to take advantage of such campaigns, so we are urging Kenyans to remain vigilant. On our part, we have put in place systems to ensure transparency and customer protection,” he said, adding that the Coast region remains one of Safaricom’s strongest markets for innovation and customer growth.

The ‘Shangwe @25’ campaign will run through regional launches and market activations across the country, offering customers multiple ways to participate.

Customers can enter by transacting on M-PESA, including sending money, paying bills, buying goods, using or redeeming Bonga Points, or purchasing any Safaricom products such as data and voice bundles, digital content, or Home Fibre subscriptions and renewals. PostPay and Home Fibre Family Share customers are also eligible.

Merchants can participate by buying, renewing, or reactivating business solutions such as Buy Goods and Pochi La Biashara, while M-PESA agents will earn entries by conducting deposit or withdrawal transactions of KSh1,000 or more.

Since its establishment in 2000, Safaricom has grown from a small mobile operator to East Africa’s leading integrated communications provider, credited with revolutionizing financial inclusion through M-PESA and driving Kenya’s digital economy.

“Safaricom has been at the heart of Kenya’s transformation connecting people to people, people to opportunities, and people to knowledge,” As we look to the next 25 years, our goal is to continue leading with purpose transforming lives through technology,” Maitai said