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In a major launch that took place Friday evening in Eldoret, telecommunications provider Safaricom has unveiled a new platform, dubbed Safaricom-Hook.
The event was attended by Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa, who spoke candidly about the relationship that the telcom company aims to build with the youth. Uasin Gichu Governor Jonathan Bii and celebrated athlete Faith Kipyegon were also present.
"At Safaricom, we are keen on helping our young people to leverage the transformative power of technology. Through Safaricom Hook, we aim to provide a platform for young Kenyans seeking inspiration, opportunities, and a sense of belonging in a constantly evolving world. As the name suggests, Safaricom wants to create a lasting connection with a generation that has unique needs," said CEO Peter Ndegwa.
In a press briefing held before a concert featuring electrifying performances from the likes of Khaligraph Jones and Ssaru, the Safaricom team said that the platform focuses on three key hooks; technology, career, and culture.
"The platform aims to nurture and support the aspirations of the Gen Z demographic and transform their lives by being a technology enabler, through offering access to custom-made offerings that will leverage Safaricom's extensive mobile network," a statement by the telecom giant reads in part.
CEO Peter Ndegwa said: "It is a way of really empowering the youth. It is about transforming lives, connecting people to people, and people to opportunities. There is no question about the biggest area that we need to focus on. In Kenya, the average age is about 19, 20 years, so the average people are youth."
He added: "Our intention is to incentivize the youth to live their lives the way they want, and to use technology. If you use technology and innovation, you can enable people to socialize better and stay connected."
The CEO said that in an effort to keep the youth connected, the platform would enable them to access smart phones on a pay as you go arrangement.
"We want to make sure that they can afford smartphones, then they also need to afford the data bundles, and ensuring that we tailor that to their needs. Say if it's TikTok or Facebook, there will be one, and there will be an option to build your own bundle."
The platform also aims to tap into the passions of the youth, like sports and content creation.
"Whether it is fashion or gaming, the platform will enable the youth to leverage benefits and live off their passions," Peter Ndegwa said.
A press statement notes that eligible customers for the platform are those aged 10 to 24 years.
"In the Tech hook, Safaricom will empower the youth with digital skills for a tech future through touchpoints such as Safaricom's Digital Talent Programme, and the Safaricom Engineering Community, and partnerships with several organisations, including the Power Learn Project, who empower African youth through software development," the statement reads in part.
The Career hook, on the other hand, "aims to prepare the youth for conventional and unconventional careers, and will come to life by working with an array of partners including Meta and Wowzi, who will provide digital training to enable the youth to access the gig economy, and Brighter Monday, who will provide guidance for those in conventional careers."
The statement adds: "In the Culture hook, Safaricom seeks to enable GenZ to pursue passion points such as sports, via Safaricom Chapa Dimba and the upcoming Safaricom Athletics series; content creation, through Baze, which enables creators to monetize their music and video content; and Fashion, through partnerships including Artfit, who will mentor upcoming designers, among others. To promote a savings culture, Safaricom Hook will leverage M-PESA Go, and the Mali wealth management platform."
Market research firm statista notes that the largest population group in Kenya, as of 2020, comprised people aged 0-14 years, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of the country's population.
"From a gender perspective, there were around 10.4 million males and 10.3 million females within this range of ages. The second biggest group consisted of inhabitants aged 25 to 54 years, with 9.04 million men and 9.02 million women."
