Safaricom PLC is a Kenyan mobile network operator with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. It is currently the largest telecommunications company in Kenya.
It offers a wide range of services including mobile telephony, mobile money transfer, ecommerce, data, fiber optic services, consumer electronics, cloud computing and music streaming.
The company made over 264.02 billion Ksh in 2021 making it one of the most profitable companies in the Eastern and Central region of Africa combined.
Statistically, Safaricom controls approximately 64.5 % of the Kenyan market as at 2020. Safari com was the first company in Kenya to have 3G Internet technology and has also registered success with 4G/ LTE connectivity currently in all major Kenyan cities.
In March, 2020, Safaricom launched a 5G Network initially available in Kisumu, Kakamega and Kisii.
It has amassed numerous services over the years such as the flashback service where the network user can send a message to another user asking them to call him or her free of charge which is a very popular service on the network.
M-Pesa is also another popular service where network users can send and receive money with a minimal charge as long as they are registered for the service.
Some other services offered by the Telecom giant include;
- M-Shwari, an extension of M-Pesa where customers can save and borrow money on their mobile phone.
- Kipokezi service which allowed customer to send and receive emails and online chat messages even without an internet connection.
- Lipa Mdogo mdogo service where the company partnered with google to target 2G phone users to upgrade to 4G while paying daily installments of Ksh 20 over a period of one year.
These are the services of the company over the years amongst many others.
Safaricom PLC was created in 1997 as a subsidiary of Telkom Kenya. In 2000, Vodafone Group PLC, a UK based company acquired 40 % of the company. In 2008, 25 % of the company’s shares were offered to the public.
Therefore, Safari com PLC is a public listed company and members of the public have freedom to purchase shares from 25 % of the company as freely traded on the Kenyan stock exchange market.
A safaricom share is currently at KES 26.55 on the Nairobi Stock exchange.
The current Chief Executive Officer of the company is Peter Ndegwa who was appointed on April 1st 2020 taking over from Bob Collymore.
Here are the top shareholders of Safaricom PLC. The top shareholder of the company is Vodafone Group Public Limited company owning 16, 000, 000, 000 equities amounting to 39.9 % of the company.
They are followed by the Government of Kenya which owns 14, 022, 572, 580 equities amounting to 35.0 % of the company.
These are the top two shareholders of the company. They are then followed by Fidelity management & research company LLC which owns 980, 945, 322 shares amounting to 2.45 %, Harding Loevner LP which owns 271, 034, 040 shares amounting to 0.68 %, Norges bank Investment management which owns 216, 952, 390 amounting to 0.54 %, Baille Gifford & company which owns 179, 080, 400 shares amounting to 0.45 %, Nikko Asset Management Americas, Inc. which owns 134, 174, 592 shares amounting to 0.33 %, Schroder Investment Management Limited which owns 88, 364, 317 shares amounting to 0.22 %, Gilder, Gagnon, Howe & Co. LLC which owns 88, 120, 923 shares also amounting to 0.22 % and Wellington Management Co. LLP owning 82, 422, 998 shares amounting to 0.21 %.