According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023, Kenya has the highest TikTok usage rate worldwide, with 54% of users in the country using the app for general purposes and 29% for news.
A 2022 report showed that daily time spent on the platform rose to 52 minutes up from 45.3 minutes, the previous year.
It is for this reason that Kenya’s largest telecommunications company Safaricom is capitalizing on TikTok’s versatility to reach a wider and younger audience.
With over 52,000 followers and 235,000 likes on the platform, Safaricom has revolutionized the use of the platform most especially for its events.
Take for example the #SafaricomChapaDimba dance challenge in collaboration with rapper Trio Mio which has helped spread the word and allowed engagement from the younger audience.
@safaricomplc Join the groove and show us your epic dance moves in the #SafaricomChapaDimba challenge! #ChezaKamaWewe💃🕺
The TikTok posts foster a sense of community because they feature real people interacting with viewers about the event.
Safaricom has also worked with TikTok influencers in order to spread the word about some of their products and services such as the Gomoka Na Go Monthly offer.
For this particular product, the telco enlisted the services of TikTok sensation Priscilla wa Imani. Additionally, it has collaborated with others like Ajib Gathoni and Wowzi.
The telco has also gone further and introduced a data bundle plan tailored for TikTok lovers.
The cheapest plan goes for Sh10, providing customers with 1024MB of data valid for 1 hour.
There is also an option allowing subscribers to pay Sh10 for 150 MB of data valid for up to 24 hours. The most expensive plan, priced at Sh50, offers customers 1.2 GB of data valid for 24 hours.
Night owls can also access a special bundle priced at KSH 50, available exclusively between midnight and 6 AM.
To access the new TikTok Bundle, Safaricom subscribers can simply dial the USSD code *544# and choose the plan that caters to their needs.