Women Push Pochi Past a Milestone as They Reach 52% of Active Users

Women now account for more than half of all active Pochi la Biashara users, marking a significant milestone for one of Safaricom’s fastest-growing merchant payment products.

A joint study by GSMA’s Connected Women programme, Safaricom, IDinsight and YUX Design found that women represented just over 52% of active Pochi users by the end of 2025. The number of active women users also increased by approximately 92% between December 2024 and December 2025, outpacing the 78% growth recorded among men.

The study estimates that more than 900,000 women were actively using Pochi la Biashara by the end of 2025, highlighting the platform’s growing role among Kenya’s micro and small businesses.

The figures position women at the centre of one of Kenya’s fastest-growing digital merchant payment ecosystems at a time when financial inclusion and enterprise development remain national economic priorities.

Growth Reflects Changing Business Habits

The report suggests the increase extends beyond adoption of another payment method.

Researchers found women increasingly use Pochi la Biashara to separate business income from household spending, maintain clearer financial records and gain better visibility into daily cash flow.

Among women who had recently adopted the platform:

• 35.6% said they now save more money.
• 24.2% reported making more sales.
• 11.3% said they were earning higher incomes.
• 10.5% said they were investing more in their businesses.

Women participating in the study also described improved financial discipline after separating business earnings from personal spending, allowing them to monitor profits more consistently and make more informed investment decisions.

The report notes that many entrepreneurs viewed business income differently once it was stored separately, reducing the likelihood that working capital would be absorbed into everyday household expenses.

Digital Payments Become Business Management Tools

The findings indicate merchant payment platforms are evolving beyond transaction processing.

Participants said transaction histories and mini-statements helped them monitor revenue, compare daily performance and better understand how their businesses were performing over time.

Researchers also found women increasingly valued Pochi’s non-reversible payment feature, which provides greater certainty that completed customer payments cannot easily be reversed. That protection was cited as one of the strongest reasons for adopting the platform.

The report concludes that digital financial tools are increasingly supporting financial discipline alongside payment acceptance, particularly among informal businesses where personal and business finances have traditionally been closely intertwined.

The Findings Align With Broader Support for Women-Owned Businesses

The research comes as Kenya continues expanding initiatives aimed at supporting women-led enterprises and strengthening financial inclusion.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi this week reaffirmed the government’s commitment to women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises, highlighting programmes that seek to improve access to finance, entrepreneurship support and business development under the country’s broader economic agenda.

While government programmes focus on financing and enterprise support, the GSMA findings suggest digital merchant platforms are increasingly helping entrepreneurs build financial records, preserve business capital and manage daily operations more effectively.

Together, the developments point to a wider shift in how women-owned businesses are participating in Kenya’s digital economy.

As adoption continues to grow, merchant wallets are becoming part of the financial infrastructure supporting hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs who rely on digital tools to run and expand their businesses.

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