tappi digital commerce solution has announced its partnership with Safaricom’s M-PESA. The partnership is aimed at empowering M-PESA’s 650,000-strong network of Kenyan MSMEs, the collaboration will provide innovative digital solutions to bolster their online credibility and visibility, signalling the latest phase of tappi’s rapid expansion journey over the last 12 months.
Launched on the M-PESA For Business Super App, the partnership marks M-PESA’s drive to expand its suite of services for the 650,000 users registered for its business till number. This is in addition to the over 50 million monthly active users across several African countries.
With tappi becoming one of the first mini apps to feature on M-PESA For Business, the startup will deliver a package equipping M-PESA’s merchants to build their online presence. Merchants will also be able to capture verified reviews and strengthen engagement with an expanded customer base.
For Ksh. 1,350, merchants will receive access to a free webpage, 50 SMS/WhatsApp reviews, which will be integrated into the merchant’s websites, as well as 250 Bulk SMS Marketing Credits. As part of the collaboration, M-PESA Ratiba, a new automated solution allowing M-PESA users to automate their online payments, has also been included in the tappi mini app, enabling business owners to seamlessly pay their monthly subscriptions without disruptions.
Targeted to reach at least 300,000 M-PESA for Business App users, the partnership has officially launched with an initial cohort of over 250 M-PESA For Business app users across the food, fashion, health and beauty sectors throughout Kenya. tappi’s solutions will build on the M-PESA For Business app’s existing functionalities which include viewing collections, statements and payments as well as transacting directly from the M-PESA till number.
Leveraging payments, messaging and AI, tappi is quickly establishing itself as the SEO backbone to boost revenue for MSMEs across Africa. This is by helping businesses gain visibility, consolidate payments with verified reviews to build online trust and pay for online Ads with mobile airtime.
Speaking on the partnership, Kenfield Griffith, CEO and Co-Founder of tappi stated, “This partnership is a significant milestone for tappi and a huge endorsement of the value Safaricom and tappi look to generate for MSMEs across Kenya. With over 35 million subscribers, M-PESA has long established itself as the engine through which millions of local entrepreneurs handle their transactions, and with many of these businesses constantly looking for new customers, our tools will be a crucial springboard in driving them to achieve this within an online setting.”
On his part, Safaricom CEO Dr. Peter Ndegwa said, “We are happy to onboard tappi as our first mini-app partner on the M-PESA Business app. This partnership seeks to empower our merchants with affordable and innovative tools and capabilities to grow their businesses. We look forward to driving financial inclusion through building the capacities of small and medium sized businesses, enhancing customer experience thus contributing to the Kenyan economy.”