Global recognition at the 2026 Mobile World Congress has placed Kenya’s mobile-based investment solutions on the international stage, with the Ziidi platform earning top honours for advancing digital finance and broadening access to capital markets.
Safaricom secured the Best Fintech and Digital Commerce Innovation Award at the Global Mobile Awards in Barcelona, with its Ziidi Money Market Fund standing out among five shortlisted entrants from across the world.
The award, one of the mobile industry’s most respected accolades, acknowledges platforms that are reshaping how financial services and commerce are delivered through technology.
Ziidi was recognised for enabling users to access investment opportunities directly through mobile devices, allowing more Kenyans to move beyond savings into structured wealth-building products within a secure and simplified framework.
“This global recognition is a proud moment for Safaricom and for Kenya. Ziidi reflects our commitment to harnessing technology to create meaningful financial opportunities for our customers. As we mark 19 years of M-PESA, this milestone underscores our journey from enabling simple money transfers to providing a comprehensive digital financial ecosystem that supports savings, credit, payments and now investments,” said Stephen Chege, Chief Corporate and External Affairs Officer at Safaricom PLC, outlining the platform’s strategic direction.
The Ziidi Investment Platform forms part of the telecom’s wider fintech expansion, allowing users to transition seamlessly from saving funds to deploying them into investment products without leaving the M-PESA ecosystem.
By integrating investment tools into everyday financial activity, the platform lowers entry barriers that have historically limited participation in capital markets, opening up wealth creation opportunities to a wider segment of the population.
This recognition builds on a track record of international wins for Kenya’s Safaricom at the GLOMO Awards, where the firm has previously been honoured for products such as the M-PESA Super App and the BLAZE DigiTruck in 2022, alongside earlier recognition for DigiFarm and contributions to mobile innovation.
The awards, held annually at MWC Barcelona, bring together global technology players and spotlight solutions that are shaping the future of digital connectivity and financial services.
Technology infrastructure supporting the platform has been strengthened through collaboration with Huawei, which has played a central role in delivering next-generation systems under the Fintech 2.0 framework.
These systems enable real-time transaction processing, stronger security layers and faster deployment of new financial products, giving Safaricom the capacity to scale solutions like Ziidi across its customer base.
The timing of the award aligns with M-PESA’s 19-year milestone, reflecting how the platform has expanded from a basic money transfer service into a multi-functional digital ecosystem spanning payments, credit, savings and investments.
This evolution positions the telecom at the centre of Kenya’s digital economy, where mobile technology continues to redefine how consumers and businesses manage money.
Looking ahead, the company is pursuing its ambition of becoming Africa’s leading purpose-driven technology firm by 2030, with continued investment in digital financial services forming a core pillar of that strategy.
The Ziidi platform’s recognition signals growing global attention on Kenya’s fintech innovation, as mobile-first solutions continue to reshape access to financial tools across the region.
