Safaricom 2023 Sustainable Business Report

14 OUR STAKEHOLDERS KPI SUMMARY OUR MATERIAL TOPICS OUR BUSINESS SAFARICOM SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS REPORT 2023 We partnered with key industry stakeholders to develop the Industry Digital Talent Programme whereby 617 students graduated with technology and digital related courses. The programme provides relevant work experiences for digital talent through upskilling and employment opportunities. SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES IN ETHIOPIA The significance of our expansion into Ethiopia cannot be underestimated. We launched operations in October 6, 2022 and are pleased to announce the acquisition of a license to provide M-PESA services. In the seven months since commencing our commercial operations, we have achieved notable milestone: • Building a premium quality, reliable network with approximately 1 300 network sites in 22 cities and regions • Closing the year with close to three million customers in terms of gross adds and over 2.1 million 90-day active customers • Establishing 114 distributor shops • Employing over 900 staff, 81% of whom are Ethiopians and creating over 4 600 indirect jobs. The liberalisation of key industries by the Ethiopian Government is a positive move that will open new avenues of opportunity for Ethiopians. Looking ahead, we have identified the need to accelerate network rollout to meet demand. In addition, we have noted low smartphone penetration which is both a challenge and opportunity for Safaricom. From a reporting perspective, expansion has increased our boundary and scope. In this year’s report, we are sharing key performance indicators related to our Ethiopian business and will cover our operations in the country more comprehensively in our 2024 Sustainable Business Report. ACKNOWLEDGING THE BOARD We welcomed Adil Khawaja, as the Chairman to the Board, as well as Ory Okolloh and Karen Kandie. Our Chair and our new directors all have impeccable credentials. Following a rigorous induction, the Board has settled in well and assimilated the new members. I am confident that their experience and expertise will bring important insights and significant value to Safaricom. Our Board is proud of its gender balance, its wide range of perspectives, experiences, and skills, all of which enrich the decision- making and oversight functions. LOOKING FORWARD We will continue deepening our sustainable business and social responsibility agenda focused on healthcare, education, economic empowerment, the environment and reducing our carbon footprint. Our focus is on scaling technology solutions that will see us fully transform into a tech organisation in the next two years and improving our various digital maturity indices. Through data and analytics, we served our customers better, reduced pain points and enhanced their experience. I thank our shareholders, communities, business partners, regulators and the Government who enable us to continue providing services that keep Kenya running. I am grateful to our customers who remain at the core of everything we do. Looking forward, we believe that our business is well positioned to unlock Kenya’s economic growth, solve customer and societal issues, as well as deepen digital and financial inclusion. Safaricom will continue to take our place as a leader in this space as we accelerate our progress towards a purpose-led technology organisation.