Video: Interview with Esther Waititu, Safaricom

Operators worldwide are looking to move beyond connectivity into high-value digital services. Africa’s mobile money ecosystem offers a clear example of what’s possible.

I spoke to Esther Waititu, chief financial services officer at Safaricom, about how this mobile money service has grown from a simple remittance tool into a national financial system. Safaricom’s M-PESA tool has expanded far beyond its origins and helped drive financial inclusion in Kenya from 23% to 84%, becoming central to economic participation.

Our discussion focused on Ziidi, the money market fund solution recognized with a GLOMO Award at MWC 2026 in March. The service enables customers to earn daily interest on their savings, and in just 18 months has attracted over 5 million users and doubled the number of retail investors on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. For more detail about Safaricom and Ziidi, including the importance of network APIs, read our article here.

What stood out to me most was the scale of collaboration behind this progress. Safaricom’s partnerships with regulators, developers, agents and technology providers allow the platform to operate securely at high volume, and they form the foundation for the continued growth of mobile money across emerging markets.

I’d like to thank Esther for joining me. You can watch the interview below.