The global context vis-à-vis the UN SDGs
According to a GSMA report*, globally progress was recorded on support for the UN SDGs since 2015, the average SDG impact score in the mobile industry slowed in 2022. However, if the current trajectory is maintained, the industry is projected to achieve 76% of its full potential impact on the SDGs by 2030. The report envisages that an accelerated contribution can be achieved by:
- Integrating purpose into core business
- Reforming policy to support sustainable levels of investment in mobile infrastructure
- Facilitating the use of mobile-enabled activities and scaling IoT solutions to power enterprise digitisation
- Leveraging the role of the international community, UN agencies and multilateral development banks to prioritise investment in digital development
- Tapping into the potential of AI, big data analytics and mobile innovation to address societal challenges
* The Mobile Economy 2024 (https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/connectivity-for-good/mobile-economy/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/260224-The-Mobile-Economy-2024.pdf)
These measures dovetail with our strategic pillars, our focus on innovation, customer obsession, agile ways of working, and in particular, with our purpose of transforming lives, our mission to accelerate new growth areas delivering superior customer experience in order to be a purpose-led technology company by 2025, and our culture as a purpose-driven, customer-obsessed, innovative and collaborative organisation.
It was in ongoing recognition of these synergies during the year under review that we continued to invest time, effort and funds in fostering our sustainability agenda.
At Safaricom, in realising our social and relationship capital we embrace as an obligation a commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen. This is fully in alignment with our purpose of transforming lives, and it underpins our determination to foster and promote a society which is not only inclusive, but itself fosters opportunities through education, health and economic empowerment and the conservation of our natural environment. In undertaking this responsibility, we seek also to strengthen and contribute towards the implementation of relevant UN SDGs.
Our activities in FY2024 – an overview
Our Shared Value team continued with its mission of identifying, developing and scaling Technology for Development (T4D) solutions with the aim of catalysing the Company’s purpose to make a sustainable social impact and bestow the value we create.
Our focus thus remained on identifying, developing, piloting, and scaling sustainable product innovations and establishing shared value strategic partnerships in the key vertical areas of:
- Health
- Education
- Humanitarian
- Agriculture
- Essential services
We have at least 16 products in the pipeline, all at different stages of product development.
Forums facilitating our input
During the year, Global Refugee Forum (GRF), World Refugee Day and African Forum for Displaced Persons were among the key forums in the humanitarian space that have contributed to our helping to unlock opportunities in the refugee space, especially with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
Other key advocacy in year under review includes:
Africa Climate Summit COP28
United Nations General Assembly
Mobile World Congress (MWC)
Our initiatives – FY2024
| What we did | The people we reached and the impact it made |
|---|---|
| Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Patient Education Platform | ± 12,000 users |
| Bonga for Charity donation product | Over 4,000 lives touched, with over 25 million Bonga points donated |
| Early-Warning Messages (TERA) Alerts | ± 20 million lives benefitting, with in-kind support to the value of approximately KShs 6 million provided to the Kenya Red Cross Society as a disaster mitigation and response |
| Digital Green Points for circular economy | Over 10,000 users, with more than KShs100,000 redeemed as M-PESA value, resulting in over 10,000 tonnes of plastic waste collected and recycled by Mr. Green Africa |
| GIGA Project, in partnership with UNICEF | Of the target of connecting 127 schools, 91 have been connected. In addition, the programme has:
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| Chapa Dimba Football Tournament |
Support for this embracing competition includes:
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These are initiatives in the pipeline.
Shared value strategic partnerships
Our partnerships continued to be productive, with several important outcomes achieved:
- UNHCR Partnership
- Engagements target the unlocking of opportunities among refugee through co-creation and advocacy, to allow refugees to use telco services including M-PESA under the new Refugee Act
- The joint Kakuma Mission on 4 March 2024 increased insights towards our long-term partnership
- Savanah Informatics and Intel iSOFT Consulting
- Afya Moja Product agreement in Q2 of 2023
- World Reader
- POC agreement in Q4 of 2023
- ITU/CISC
- Digital Transformation Centres Initiative
- World Metrological Organisation (WMO)
- Early Warning Solutions as outlined by the
UN Secretary General
- Early Warning Solutions as outlined by the
Sponsorships
During the year under review, the Company continued to support a variety of events and initiatives with the aim of uplifting and improving the quality of life for Kenyan communities.
| Event/Initiative | How we provide support |
|---|---|
| 2024 Magical Kenya Open (MKO) |
KShs 6.2 million, as the MKO official technology partner, providing:
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| Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) |
KShs 2 million cash sponsorship announced to:
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| East African Safari Classic Rally |
KShs 6 million, to:
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| Nairobi International Jazz Festival |
KShs 1 million, in:
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Awards and recognition
Our efforts and commitment were acknowledged during the year at two important events:
- The inaugural Environment Sustainability Awards by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), held in July 2023, recognised the Company for its climate action initiatives.
- The fourth Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards, held in August 2023, Safaricom was awarded a place among Africa’s Top 50 Companies in Sustainability.
- Safaricom injects KShs 6 million to support the 11th edition of the East African Safari Classic Rally.
It is with these goals and commitments in mind that we established the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations. These foundations, both governed by a separate and independent Board of Trustees and the same management team, play a key role in serving as conduit, initiator and implementor in our quest as an organisation to promote and facilitate upliftment, betterment and equality of opportunity, helping, through their activities, to improve the lives of all.
| Impact | ||
|---|---|---|
| Safaricom Foundation |
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| M-PESA Foundation |
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As a partner and support system for Kenyans looking to transform their lives, we focus on health education, economic empowerment and sustainable philanthropy to enhance equity. Moreover, in doing this we aim to build a thriving and prosperous Kenya by providing resources, opportunity, and hope.
Our impact since 2003
Implementing our strategy
During the year under review, with our FY2023 audit complete, we commenced the implementation of our 2023–2026 strategy. In doing so, we co-created programmes with partners focusing on the three key areas of health, economic empowerment and education.
All our philanthropic initiatives – Pamoja, Regional Engagement, Usamaria and Ndoto Zetu Phase V – were launched at the Machakos School for the Deaf on 11 July 2023, and included a number of specific projects.
| Focus area and UN SDG supported |
The project | What it is | What we achieved |
|---|---|---|---|
Health  |
Afya Uzazi Salama |
The programme is designed to reduce maternal, neonatal children’s’ and non-communicable disease morbidity and mortality in Narok County, and is being implemented by AMREF Health Africa in Kenya. The programme is focused on improving the accessibility and demand for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Health (RMNCAH), and Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) services. |
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Education |
Wazesha TVET Programme |
Launched on 12 October 2023 in Isiolo County, with the goal of improving access to quality, equitable and inclusive skills and learning opportunities for Kenyan youth. The programme is being implemented in Nairobi, Isiolo and Marsabit Counties by Catholic Relief Services (CRS). |
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| Digital skills programme, and renovation of eight Teacher Training Colleges (TTC) ICT laboratories | A programme with the goal of enhancing digital learning in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, TSC of Education and TSC. |
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Economic Empowerment |
COVID-19 Adaptation Revolving Fund programme | While the grant for this programme came to an end during the year, the aim was to provide micro loans to Kenyans to cushion them against the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
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| Wezesha Agri Programme |
A programme implemented by Africa Instore Solutions (AIS), aimed at empowering women and youth in Kajiado County through agriculture. The programme ran from May 2022 to November 2023, at a cost of KShs 23.9 million, focusing on The programme was evaluated, with Phase 3 approved. |
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| Employee Engagement |
Foundation CSI initiatives and projects |
These included:
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| Ndoto Zetu Phase V | Phase V of Ndoto Zetu, a funding stream that supports the dreams of Kenyans was launched. |
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| Pamoja | An initiative that supports Safaricom staff to identify community projects. |
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| Safaricom@20 | Safaricom’s 20th anniversary celebrations were initiated on 9 August 2023 with the CEO leading employees at Kenyatta National Hospital. |
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| Leveraged funding | Various programmes and partnerships. |
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| Disaster response | Support for Kenyans to access both food and non-food items. |
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We partner with Kenyans to implement large-scale and highly impactful community projects. We aim to promote health, education, environmental conservation, and integrated livelihoods for the social and economic benefit of the people of Kenya.
During the year under review, the M-PESA Foundation continued to implement the community investment framework that focuses on health, education and integrated water, environment, disaster response and livelihood programmes. Initiatives were undertaken in all our focus areas:
| Focus area and UN SDG supported |
The project | What it is | What we achieved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health
|
Uzazi Salama |
Our KShs 150 million programme for maternal, newborn and child health aimed at decreasing maternal and newborn health morbidity and mortality rates in Homabay County came to an end. The programme is being scaled to Kilifi County which has a high rate of maternal and newborn mortality. |
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| Daktari Smart |
A telemedicine programme, whose goals are:
The programme is implemented in Homabay, Samburu, |
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| M-Mama | A technology-enabled programme to provide an emergency transport system in Kenya, co-funded with the Vodafone Foundation and USAID, launched by Health CS Hon Susan Nakhumicha and Samantha Power, Administrator of the USAID. |
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| Fistula Programme | A response that aims to restore dignity for women and girls with female genital fistula in Kenya, with ongoing implementation across the country |
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| Medical camps | Continued provision of accessible and affordable healthcare services to underserved communities |
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| Education |
The M-PESA Foundation Academy | Established to provide quality education to bright children from poor backgrounds in all 47 counties, with the aim of producing model leaders, doers and thinkers. |
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| Wezesha Elimu |
Although the grant for this programme has now ended, its aim was to contribute towards providing improved access to education for children with disabilities so that they can achieve their full potential and lead a dignified life. The programme is being evaluated. |
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| Employability Skills of Visually Impaired Youth | A programme to improve the employability skills of visually-impaired youth through access to quality inclusive education and training in innovative digital assistive technologies. |
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| Environmental conservation  |
Securing the future of the last remaining Kenyan roan antelopes | Continued implementation of the initiative at the Ruma Park in Homabay County. |
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Looking ahead
In the short-, medium- and long-term, our goals are to:
- Continue implementing our strategic programmes – UZAZI Salama, TVET, Wezesha Agri and Digital Skills for teachers
- Launch Ndoto Zetu Phase VI and the other Philanthropic projects – Pamoja, Usamaria and regional
- Identify community programmes for investment/co-development with relevant partners to increase our impact
- Roll out the M-Mama emergency transport programme for mothers and newborns
- Ensure employee engagement for continued community engagement
- Continue convening strategic partners under the banner of both the Safaricom and M-PESA Foundations for:
- Continued learning
- Influencing of philanthropy practice through regional dissemination forums and a national partners’ forum
- Continue implementing the integrated fistula programme with partnering counties and organisations
- Continue implementing medical camps across the 47 counties, and plan for a new phase
- Continue resource and strategic partner mobilisation to increase our scale and impact in communities.
As part of our commitment as a responsible corporate citizen, during the year under review we continued to monitor our use of resources, and implement measures with the aim of conserving energy, acting on climate change and decarbonisation, targeting zero waste and promoting sustainable supply chains and community investments as well as workplace safety.
The fruit of our commitment
