Developers Take a Larger Role in Safaricom’s FinTech 2.0 Plans
Safaricom’s platform for developers is moving from integration layer to distribution channel
Safaricom PLC has outlined a deeper push into platform infrastructure with its FinTech 2.0 strategy, positioning its systems as a base layer for developers, businesses, and financial services in Kenya.
Speaking on Day 2 of the company’s Decode 4.0 event, during a developer-focused session titled The Rails of Inclusion: Building Intelligent Financial Systems for Every Kenyan, Esther Waititu described Safaricom’s transition from product-led growth to platform enablement, anchored in the evolution of M-PESA and the ecosystem built around it.
The Safaricom FinTech 2.0 platform for developers now supports more than 66,000 integrations and processes up to 6,000 transactions per second, up from roughly 100 in its early years.
From mobile money to national infrastructure
Waititu framed M-PESA as embedded infrastructure rather than a standalone service, pointing to its role in everyday financial activity across Kenya.
Financial inclusion linked to mobile money usage has risen from 23% at launch to 84% today, according to Safaricom. The company’s framing places digital financial services at the centre of daily transactions, from payments and credit to savings and investment.
“We are not just building apps or moving money,” she said. “We are creating a digital lifestyle and ecosystem.”
Daraja 3.0 expands API layer for builders
A core component of the Safaricom FinTech 2.0 platform for developers is Daraja 3.0, the company’s API gateway.
The latest version embeds AI capabilities and introduces a multi-tenant architecture designed to support scale and concurrent integrations. Safaricom positions Daraja as the interface between its infrastructure and external developers building consumer and enterprise applications.
The result is an ecosystem where third-party services increasingly depend on Safaricom rails to operate and monetize.
Super App becomes aggregation layer through My OneApp
Safaricom is consolidating its consumer layer through My OneApp, a unified interface that brings together telecom and financial services while opening access to third-party mini apps.
The app merges the existing M-PESA app and MySafaricom app, which currently serve 6.7 million and 2.8 million users respectively. The combined platform is designed to migrate this user base into a single environment and expand it as more services are introduced.
At its core, My OneApp keeps everyday use cases such as payments, airtime, and account management central, while introducing a mini-app layer that allows developers and businesses to embed services directly داخل the app. Users can access these services without leaving the interface or installing separate applications.
According to Peter Gichangi, developers building mini apps within the platform could reach up to 10 million users, positioning My OneApp as a distribution layer tied directly to Safaricom’s infrastructure.
For users, the change is structural. Tasks that previously required switching between multiple apps are now handled within a single flow, reducing duplication and simplifying navigation.
Safaricom is also aligning this consumer layer with its broader ecosystem strategy. Over time, the company intends to connect My OneApp with its business-facing tools, creating a shared environment where consumer demand and merchant services meet through embedded applications.
Future iterations are expected to introduce personalization, prioritizing frequently used actions and adapting to user behavior. The company is also exploring voice-based interaction to simplify how users complete tasks.
Early access is currently available on Android, with iOS support expected later as Safaricom collects feedback to refine the experience ahead of wider rollout.
Within the FinTech 2.0 strategy, My OneApp functions as the front-end layer of the Safaricom FinTech 2.0 platform for developers, linking infrastructure, distribution, and user activity into a single system.
Financial products extend platform utility
Alongside infrastructure, Safaricom is expanding financial services that sit on top of its platform.
These include:
- Savings via Ziidi, which applies daily interest accrual
- Stock trading through CD Trader, connected to the Nairobi Securities Exchange
- Business wallet separation through Pochi la Biashara, now with over 2 million users
- Credit expansion via Fuliza infrastructure upgrades
- Insurance products offering device, health, and income protection
These services extend platform utility beyond payments into wealth building, risk management, and business operations.
Developer ecosystem becomes distribution channel
Safaricom’s framing places developers at the centre of service expansion.
Applications built on its APIs increasingly function as independent businesses, with Safaricom providing the underlying transaction layer, identity, and distribution.
This model aligns the company more closely with platform operators than traditional telecom providers, with revenue and usage tied to ecosystem activity rather than standalone products.
Next phase focuses on financial health outcomes
The FinTech 2.0 strategy is presented as moving beyond access toward measurable financial outcomes.
Safaricom’s stated objective is to support transitions from income instability to income security, using integrated tools across payments, credit, savings, and insurance.
The company is positioning its infrastructure as the system through which those transitions occur, with developers building the services that sit on top of it.
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