Safaricom Maintains Market Leadership according to Communications Authority of Kenya Report

Safaricom, the listed technology firm has maintained its market lead with a 63.3% market share in the mobile SIM card subscriptions, according to the latest Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Sector Statistics report.

According to the CA Third Quarter Sector Statistics Report for the Financial Year 2024/2025 (January 1st–March 31st, 2025), Safaricom added 1.7 million mobile subscriptions, hitting 48.2 million subscriptions, up from 46.5 million recorded in the previous quarter.

During the period ending March 2025, active mobile (SIM) subscriptions increased by 6.7 per cent to 76.2 million, resulting in a penetration rate of 145.3 per cent.

This growth is attributed to the various customer win-back campaigns run by the operators during the reference period.

The CA report confirms that the ICT sector in Kenya experienced steady growth from January to March 2025.

The quarter was marked by a general increase in active mobile subscriptions, mobile money subscriptions, mobile data usage, and broadband subscriptions, primarily driven by effective customer retention campaigns.

Notably, there was an increased uptake in both smart and feature phones, which can be attributed to the increased availability of mobile devices and the expansion of mobile network infrastructure nationwide.
During the reporting period, domestic mobile voice and SMS traffic by Safaricom grew by 4.77 per cent from the last quarter, reaching 18.3 billion units.

Fixed data subscriptions by Safaricom increased by 9.17 per cent to reach 678,118 connections, reflecting continued growth in home and business internet services. In contrast, Starlink’s market share declined to just 0.9 per cent, signaling slower uptake of the satellite internet service in Kenya.

Nationally, the mobile phone penetration rate reached 139.8 per cent, comprising 80.5 per cent for smartphones and 59.3 per cent for feature phones.

Safaricom’s ongoing efforts to drive smartphone access through its affordable device financing program have contributed positively to this growth in smartphone connectivity.