Safcom, Reinventing the Green House

In today’s newsletter: Safaricom’s voice empire is shrinking as M-PESA and data services take control. Meanwhile, Centum Investment stares down a profit slump as real estate revenues shrink.

I am Brian from The Kenyan Wall Street and these are our day's business stories:

Telecommunications 

Reinventing the Green House : Safcom's Traditional Roles take back seat 

Safaricom’s silent pivot from talk-time titan to digital disruptor is now impossible to ignore.

By Harry Njuguna

Once a voice-dominated telco, Safaricom has quietly reinvented itself into a digital leviathan. The numbers tell a tale of metamorphosis, as voice revenue now limps along while M-PESA and mobile data lead the charge.

The giant telco is becoming less about talk and more about tech. M-PESA, the fintech marvel born in 2007, now does the heavy lifting, dwarfing traditional services. Even Mobile data, once an afterthought, is now second in command, feeding the country's insatiable digital appetite.

Messaging, that old reliable communication service, is losing ground to encrypted chats and emoji-laced GIFs. Meanwhile, Safaricom’s bottom line thrives in the new order. Read the full story >>>>>

 📱 Airtel Kenya's Quiet Charge in Telco Market

By Fred Obura

In the Kenyan mobile landscape, Airtel has found a gust. A record 3 million new subscribers in just one quarter has lifted its market share to a historic 32.2%, as the firm gears up to challenge Safaricom’s long-held lead. At the heart of this surge is more than just upgraded towers but also a bet on human touch, and a campaign whispering ‘Na Bado Tunagrow’. Read more »»»»»

Regulation

🍻 From 18 to 21 : Why Anti-Narc Body Wants Tougher Booze Law

By Brian Nzomo

In a policy proposal, Kenya is proposing to raise the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 and outlaw all digital alcohol sales, including apps and vending machines. The 2025 National Policy on the Prevention of Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Use, approved by Cabinet but not yet law, also seeks to ban booze near schools and worship places, and curb youth-targeted marketing. Meanwhile, Western alcohol giants such as Diageo, Heineken, AB InBev are entrenching themselves in the Kenyan market, banking on lax regulation and digital channels to reach urban youth. Read more »»»»»

Capital Markets

Centum Investment Profits Dip as Real Estate Returns Shrink 

Once hailed as an investment powerhouse, Centum now treads a quieter, more cautious path.

By Harry Njuguna & Chelsy Maina

Centum Investment, once a paragon of billion-shilling profits, now finds itself trudging through a far quieter season. Its latest earnings report shows a steep decline, with net profits slipping nearly 70%. Debt has been trimmed, dividend held steady, and just enough shares bought back to make a headline without making a dent. Real estate, once its golden goose, now returns modest spoils. And yet, there’s movement beneath the surface: the Sidian stake is being pruned, cash is gathering, and the firm whispers of stability ahead. Read more »»»»»

NSE Gainers & Losers 

What you missed

Insight : Global Trade Tariffs

By Chelsy Maina

On your watchlist

CBEX promised prosperity but delivered one of Africa’s biggest financial heartbreaks. What began as a fast-growing crypto platform quickly turned into a high-tech Ponzi scheme, swindling over $847 million (USDT) from thousands of investors across Kenya, Nigeria, and beyond.

Keep up with what’s happening on our X and LinkedIn pages. Stay updated with the latest financial news on our website The Kenyan Wall Street.