Kenya’s leading telco, Safaricom, has unveiled three new loan products designed to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with credit access of up to KSh 400,000.
The newly launched products are Taasi Pochi, Fuliza Biashara, and Taasi Till Loan, available through the M-Pesa platform. The offerings were announced by Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa.
According to a statement by the company, these credit products were developed by the M-Pesa team in partnership with local financial institutions to offer flexible business financing.
Taasi Till is a short-term credit facility for merchants using Lipa na M-Pesa. It offers loans from KSh 1,500 to KSh 250,000, with repayment linked to cash flow through the till.
With Fuliza Biashara, business owners can access overdraft limits starting from KSh 1,000 up to a maximum of KSh 400,000, depending on their individual credit limits.
This overdraft is repaid automatically when money flows into the merchant’s till, enabling businesses to continue operating without interruptions.
Taasi Pochi, on the other hand, targets businesses using Pochi la Biashara. Loans range between KSh 1,000 and KSh 250,000, credited instantly to the merchant’s Pochi wallet.
To qualify, a business must have an active Pochi wallet or Lipa na M-Pesa till that has been operational for at least six months.
Users can access Taasi Pochi via USSD code 3348# or the M-Pesa app, while Fuliza Biashara and Taasi Till are available through *234# or the M-Pesa Business App.
Safaricom partnered with several banks to deliver the new credit solutions, including KCB, Diamond Trust Bank, Sidian Bank, and Absa Bank’s Wezesha stock loan programme.
The telco noted that these products aim to promote financial inclusion, particularly among informal sector business owners who traditionally lack access to conventional banking loans.
For Taasi Pochi, Safaricom disclosed that the interest rate is fixed at the point of loan issuance. A seven-day loan is charged at 3.85 percent, while 14 and 30-day loans attract 4.71 percent and 6.41 percent, respectively.
Regardless of whether the loan is repaid early or at the end of the term, the total repayment amount remains constant, inclusive of principal and interest.
Final decisions on loan limits and applicable rates will be determined by the partnering banks, based on customer transaction history and usage patterns.
With these additions, Safaricom seeks to empower Kenya’s micro and small enterprises by expanding access to affordable digital credit options and boosting cash flow resilience.
