The Kenyan telecommunications sector continued to demonstrate robust growth in the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year, according to the latest report from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA).

Key indicators, including broadband subscriptions, mobile SIM penetration, smartphone usage, and mobile money transactions, all showed positive momentum, reflecting the industry’s ongoing commitment to meeting the evolving needs of Kenyan consumers.

Market Share Dynamics:

Safaricom continues to dominate the telecommunications sector, holding a commanding 65.7% market share in mobile subscriptions. Airtel Networks Kenya follows with 29.6%, while Finserve (Equitel) and Telkom Kenya hold smaller shares.

In mobile broadband, Safaricom maintains its leadership with a 63.1% market share, closely followed by Airtel Networks Kenya at 32.6%.

Safaricom’s dominance extends to mobile money services, where it boasts a 92.3% market share, leaving Airtel Money and T-Kash with significantly smaller shares.

In the quarter ending September 2024, Airtel Money expanded its market share to 7.6%, marking a significant increase from 6.6% in the previous quarter.

This growth comes at the expense of market leader M-Pesa, whose share dipped to 92.3% from 93.4%, its lowest point since September 2022.

This dynamic plays out against a backdrop of overall growth in the mobile money sector. Mobile money subscriptions surged to a record high of 40.6 million users, translating to a remarkable 78.9% penetration rate. The number of registered mobile money agents also saw a healthy increase of 5.1%, reaching 365,432.

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Airtel Money’s Ascent:

Several factors contribute to Airtel Money’s rising popularity. A key driver is the company’s strategic partnerships, such as its collaboration with the Naivas supermarket chain, which significantly expanded its agent network.

This move brought Airtel Money services closer to customers, making transactions more convenient and accessible.

Regulatory changes have also played a crucial role. The increase in daily transaction limits to Sh500,000, coupled with the removal of restrictions on withdrawal timeframes for received funds, has enhanced the platform’s usability and appeal.

These changes align with the Central Bank of Kenya’s National Payments Strategy 2022-2025, which aims to foster a more inclusive and interoperable mobile money ecosystem.

Key Highlights:

Broadband Growth: While 3G subscriptions saw a slight decline, the report highlighted a surge in 4G and 5G adoption. This shift reflects the growing demand for high-speed internet access to support activities like streaming, online learning, remote work, and e-commerce.
Mobile Data Boom: Mobile data subscriptions reached a new high of 53.7 million by the end of September 2024, with 4G technology dominating at 58.1 percent. This trend underscores the increasing reliance on mobile data for various aspects of daily life.
Mobile Money Continues to Thrive: Mobile money services continued to expand, with subscriptions increasing from 39.8 million to 40.6 million, translating to a penetration rate of 78.9 percent. This highlights the crucial role of mobile money in facilitating financial inclusion and driving economic growth.
Mobile SIM Growth: The number of active mobile (SIM) subscriptions grew by 1.6 percent to 70.0 million, further solidifying the high level of mobile phone penetration within the Kenyan market.

Call Duration:

The average duration of on-net calls remained stable at 1.8 minutes, while off-net calls saw a slight increase to 1.3 minutes.

Notably, Airtel Networks Limited customers had the longest average on-net call duration at 2.8 minutes, while Safaricom PLC and Jamii Telecommunications Ltd customers spent more time on off-net calls, averaging 1.4 minutes.

Internet Subscriptions Surge:

The number of internet subscriptions experienced a modest growth of 4.9% during the period, reaching 1.57 million. This steady increase reflects the growing demand for internet access across the country.

Notably, satellite internet subscriptions witnessed a remarkable surge of 104.7%, primarily attributed to a successful customer acquisition campaign by Starlink Internet Services Kenya. The introduction of a more affordable satellite equipment rental option significantly boosted subscriber numbers.

Comprehensive Services and Solutions by Airtel Kenya

Airtel Kenya offers a wide range of services to meet the needs of its customers. With the Airtel Kenya App, users can easily access and manage their accounts, explore various Airtel Kenya packages, and recharge their Airtel Kenya prepaid lines.

For assistance, the Airtel Kenya customer care team is always ready to help, and users can reach out via Airtel Kenya contacts for quick support.

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The company also provides exciting job opportunities through Airtel Kenya careers and operates from a convenient Airtel Kenya address. Additionally, their reliable Airtel home WiFi plans Kenya ensure fast and affordable internet connectivity for households.

Industry Outlook:

The report highlights a promising future for the Kenyan telecommunications sector. The continued investment in 4G and 5G infrastructure, coupled with increasing consumer demand for high-speed connectivity, is poised to drive significant advancements in the coming quarters.

According to the latest sector statistics report by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), the total number of mobile phone devices connected to mobile networks reached a remarkable 68.1 million, translating to a penetration rate of 131.5%.

This indicates that the number of mobile connections surpasses the actual population, highlighting the widespread use of multiple SIM cards per individual.