Kenya: Safaricom tipped for Commonwealth award

Mobile telephone company Safaricom is on the shortlist together with four others for the prestigious 16-tier Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) —Africa Business Awards 2008.

The nomination makes Safaricom legible to compete in two categories—the African Business of the Year and the Telecoms Company of the Year.

“It is great to be nominated for the CBC-African Business of the Year 2008. It fits in our vision unveiled recently to be the best company in Africa,” Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph said during the nomination ceremony in London.

Founded in 1997, Safaricom today has a subscriber base of more than 11 million and has diversified into several mobile telephone services including electronic money transfer.

Mr Joseph said the nomination reflected the company’s impressive financial strength; its dynamic products and services as well as contributions to social responsibility.

Safaricom’s roll of products and services include Simu ya Jamii, a free 24-hour customer care, voicemail services, Sambaza, Kama Kawaida and multi-media messaging.

It also offers international mobile telephony roaming services, pocket office, conference calling, blackberry enterprise solution, broadband modem and the electronic money transfer service- M-pesa.

The firm, with an 84 per cent market share locally, reported a pre-tax profit of Sh19.9 billion in2007, with the turnover topping Sh61.3 billion.

ITNewsAfrica