New Safaricom tariff targets youth with personalised bundles usage

A mobile phone user. Subscribers aged 26 years and below can now determine how much they spend on voice, data or SMS. PHOTO | FILE 

By OKUTTAH MARK, mokuttah@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• The ‘Blaze’ tariff plan means that users can now determine how much they spend on voice, data or SMS as opposed to the conventional bundled tariffs that are fixed.
• The tariff is open to subscribers aged 26 years and below.
• Safaricom says it is banking on the youth to deliver 25 per cent of its future growth in terms of both customer numbers and revenue, by offering more relevant products and services to this segment.

Safaricom has launched a tariff plan that enables its subscribers aged 26 years and below to tailor their voice, data and SMS bundles to their preferred usage patterns.

The ‘Blaze’ tariff plan means that users can now determine how much they spend on voice, data or SMS as opposed to the conventional bundled tariffs that are fixed.

Subscribers falling in this age bracket can either dial *555# or buy new SIM cards branded Blaze to access the tariff.

Besides having the ability to create their tariff plan, the telco says the tariffs under this platform will cost much lower than the other conventional bundles, taking into account that the subscribers they are targeting do not have a regular income.

Chief executive Bob Collymore said the firm is banking on the youth to deliver 25 per cent of its future growth in terms of both customer numbers and revenue, by offering more relevant products and services to this segment.

Safaricom’s total revenue for the year ended March 31 increased by nearly 20 per cent to Sh195.7 billion, mainly driven by non-voice services such as M-Pesa and data, which at 49 per cent now constitute nearly half of the company’s revenues.

“Blaze is a platform created to empower the youth, enable and celebrate their unconventional journeys to success and give them the freedom to choose how they want to communicate. Its unlike we’ve ever done before,” Mr Collymore said during the launch.

Sylvia Mulinge, the company's Director for Consumer Business, said the platform has been over a year in the making and with a budget of close to Sh800 million for marketing and roadshow summits to commence across the country in the coming weeks.

“If , for example, you buy Sh100 worth of credit, you have the freedom to choose how much of that should go into data, voice and SMS, depending on your preferred usage,” said Ms Mulinge.