Safaricom has extended its mobile credit services to Pochi La Biashara merchants, allowing qualifying small businesses to access overdrafts based on their daily transaction activity.
The new product, Fuliza Ya Pochi, enables merchants to complete business transactions even when their mobile money balances are insufficient, helping them pay suppliers, make Buy Goods purchases, send money and settle utility bills.
Group chief executive Peter Ndegwa said the facility would help micro-businesses manage cash-flow challenges that can disrupt daily operations.
“Across Kenya, thousands of micro-businesses face daily cash-flow gaps that can mean missed sales, delayed stock purchases, or postponed supplier payments. Fuliza Ya Pochi helps merchants overcome these short-term challenges while continuing to build their businesses,” he said.
Qualifying merchants will receive overdraft limits determined by their business activity, with repayments automatically deducted from future payments received through their Pochi wallets.
Pochi La Biashara allows entrepreneurs and informal businesses to receive customer payments separately from personal funds.
The platform currently serves more than two million micro-merchants, providing a channel for managing daily business transactions.
Fuliza Ya Pochi marks an expansion of Safaricom’s mobile lending services into the informal business sector, where unpredictable cash flows can constrain stock purchases and supplier payments.
Introduced in 2019, Fuliza allows M-Pesa customers to complete transactions despite insufficient balances by accessing short-term overdrafts.
Safaricom subsequently extended the service to businesses through Fuliza ya Biashara, targeting qualifying Lipa na M-Pesa merchants.
The latest product broadens that offering to Pochi La Biashara users, linking access to credit with merchants’ transaction activity on the mobile money platform.
Safaricom earned Sh6 billion from Fuliza during the financial year ended March 2026, representing a 46 per cent increase from the previous year.
The expansion comes as the telecommunications firm introduces measures to lower transaction costs for Pochi La Biashara users.
The company recently waived charges on customer payments of up to Sh200 and reduced fees by 50 per cent on payments above that threshold, subject to a maximum charge of Sh50. The measures will run for three months.
For small businesses operating on tight margins, the combination of lower transaction charges and access to short-term credit could provide additional flexibility in managing working capital.
However, the overdraft facility remains subject to eligibility criteria, with individual credit limits determined by business activity.
Automatic deductions from incoming payments also mean merchants will need to account for repayments when managing their cash flow.
Safaricom operates across Kenya and Ethiopia, serving more than 71.6 million customers. Its mobile money platform, M-Pesa, has expanded access to payments, savings and credit, becoming a major contributor to the company’s revenues.
M-Pesa generated more than Sh182.7 billion in revenue in the financial year ended March 2026, underscoring the growing importance of financial services to Safaricom’s business.
Fuliza Ya Pochi adds another layer to that ecosystem, using mobile transaction data to extend credit to eligible merchants who need additional funds to keep their businesses running.
