Safaricom’s Ziidi is a mobile-driven money market fund (MMF) imbedded in M PESA such that any customer can invest from their mobile wallet. With a minimum initial investment of just KES 100 and no maximum limit (within M PESA transaction limits of KES 500,000 per day and KES 250,000 per transaction), Ziidi is set to democratize wealth creation.
The key features of Ziidi are:
• Zero fees for deposits and withdrawals.
• Accrual of daily interest, accessible in-app or through USSD (3345#).
• Immediate access—withdrawals are returned to M PESA immediately.
• Lock-funds feature to prevent spur-of-the-moment spending (the unlock takes 72 hours).
It is operated through fund managers ALA Capital and Standard Investment Bank with oversight by Kenya’s Capital Markets Regulator (CMA). The fund invests funds in risk-averse securities like government T-bills and high-interest-based accounts. Until March 2025, Ziidi had on boarded over 1 million customers and had over KES 6 billion+ under its management, marking its rapid growth.
This is an important product because financial inclusion is further extended through its ability to encourage everyday Kenyans not least low- and middle-income individuals to realize real gains from idle money safely and conveniently.
Ziidi’s began from a simple but powerful observation: there are several idle funds among Kenyans stashed on their M PESA accounts that yield no income. Valuing that, Safaricom set out on removing investment barriers traditionally tied to paperwork, broker interactions, and minimums.
Ziidi reaches people wherever they are—on their phones. It takes three clicks or USSD presses for any M PESA customer to register and invest. Safaricom’s vision, articulated by its CEO Peter Ndegwa, is that “Ziidi ni Ziidi instils the mentality that a little goes a long way and enables individuals to define prosperity on their own terms.”
By its alliance with Standard Investment Bank and ALA Capital, Safaricom leveraged pre-existing familiarity and investment acumen. Traits such as daily visibility on how one earns interest, no fees, and convenient withdrawals reflect core customer wants: visibility, affordability, and convenience.
However, there were customer experience hiccups at rollout phase, particularly among those from older “Mali” MMF. Forced migrations, error screens, and confusion revealed that better communication and onboarding were necessary.
Its usage is without debate. It had gained over 1 million members and served over KES 6 billion worth of pooled monies just a few weeks after its January 2025 launch. Estimates had 450,000 members and KES 2.85 billion worth of assets by year end 2024.
Points for Improvement
Some members were concerned about:
• At rates lower than older funds (e.g. Mali or Sanlam’s Schillingi).
• No return on tied-up money, which is detrimental to goal-oriented savers.
• Implementation confusion–especially for Mali investors subjected to migration warnings without express authorization.
Safaricom also needs to correct these customer feedback areas through improved communications, potentially adjusted rate offers, and more enticing locked funds.
See also
It is not only a fintech solution but a social tool enabling everyday Kenyans to partake in safer wealth creation. Micro savers eg students, market traders, day labourers can now significantly grow monies hitherto earning no return.
Through bridging convenience between mobility and banking, Ziidi offers financial education and discipline. Such features as locked fund proposal encourage habit of savings while visibility of earnings on a daily basis encourage accountability.
Economists and fund managers also compliment its capacity to channel retail liquidity towards the bigger economy and conform with Kenya’s “bottom-up” model of development.
What Lies Ahead?
To solidify its impact, Safaricom has to:
- Ensure smooth and transparent migration from Mali with hassle-free transfers.
- Control rate problems, potentially through return adjustments or competitive guarantees.
- Enhance attractiveness of locked funds, ideally by stacking interest awards.
- Continuously keep users engaged and informed, educated and empowered.
Safaricom’s Ziidi MMF is a smart, inclusive, and socio-economically relevant financial tool—a novelty that unlocks inactive mobile money into growing capital. With judicious design, high uptake, and a trend toward inclusivity, Ziidi can transform how everyday Kenyans comprehend and administrate wealth. Using initial feedback and lessons from its inception, Ziidi can evolve as a trusted economic partner and redefine Kenya’s financial landscape; one Kes 100 at a time.