tappi, a digital commerce SaaS solution tailored for Africa’s micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), has partnered with Safaricom’s M-PESA to digitize 650,000 Kenyan MSMEs. This collaboration aims to empower M-PESA’s business network by enhancing online credibility and visibility, marking a significant step in tappi’s rapid growth over the past year.
Accessible through the M-PESA For Business Super App, this partnership expands M-PESA’s service offerings for its 650,000 business till number users and over 50 million active users across Africa. As one of the first mini-apps on the platform, tappi provides a subsidized package to help M-PESA merchants establish an online presence, gather verified customer reviews, and engage a broader customer base.
For Ksh.1,350 (around $11), merchants will receive a free webpage, 50 SMS/WhatsApp reviews integrated with their website, and 250 bulk SMS marketing credits. Additionally, M-PESA Ratiba, a new tool for automating online payments, is integrated into tappi’s mini-app, enabling seamless subscription payments for business owners.
Kenfield Griffith, CEO and Co-Founder of tappi, stated, “This partnership is a major milestone for tappi and a testament to the value we and Safaricom can offer MSMEs in Kenya. With M-PESA’s vast subscriber base, our tools provide essential support for local entrepreneurs seeking to expand their online reach.”
The partnership targets an initial rollout to 300,000 M-PESA for Business App users, starting with 250 businesses in the food, fashion, health, and beauty sectors. tappi’s solutions build on the M-PESA For Business app’s existing features, such as viewing collections, statements, and processing payments directly through M-PESA.
Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom, added, “We are excited to welcome tappi as our first mini-app partner on the M-PESA Business app. This partnership equips our merchants with affordable tools to grow their businesses and supports financial inclusion, contributing to Kenya’s economy.”
tappi’s partnership with Safaricom is the latest move in its mission to bridge the digital divide for Africa’s MSMEs. In May 2024, tappi partnered with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) to provide digital services to 30,000 MSMEs in Kenya. This follows its expansion to Côte d’Ivoire with MTN in March 2024 and partnerships in Nigeria.
Since its inception in 2019, tappi has maintained a 90% retention rate and a 1.5-month payback period, capturing verified reviews from $3.4 million in consumer transactions and engaging over 180,000 consumers.
According to USAID, MSMEs contribute nearly a third of Kenya’s GDP, yet many businesses struggle to establish trusted online profiles due to complex digital tools and credit card requirements. tappi simplifies this process with an intuitive chat-based setup, allowing MSMEs to build online profiles, consolidate payments, and manage verified reviews. Its end-to-end digital commerce stack leverages payments, messaging, and AI to increase revenue for MSMEs and facilitate ad payments via mobile airtime.