Table of Contents
Key Points
- Safaricom became the first East African firm to exceed $3 billion in annual revenue, lifting investor sentiment and stock performance.
- The company’s dividend payout hit $372.6 million, reinforcing its consistency despite Ethiopia expansion costs and currency challenges.
- Vision 2030 strategy targets AI, 4G access, pan-African growth, and financial innovation to transform Safaricom into a tech-driven powerhouse.
Safaricom PLC, East Africa’s telecom giant led by Kenyan executive Peter Ndegwa, has declared a total dividend of $372.6 million for the financial year ended March 31, 2025, extending its track record of strong shareholder returns for the third time.
The Ksh48.08 billion ($372.6 million) payout includes a final dividend of Ksh0.65 ($0.005) per share, approved at its 17th Annual General Meeting, bringing the total distribution for the year to Ksh1.20 ($0.009) per share.
Record results underscore strategic momentum
The final dividend will be paid on or about August 31, 2025, to shareholders on record as of July 31. Despite the financial strain from its expansion into Ethiopia and local currency headwinds, Safaricom has held steady on returns, reinforcing its appeal among investors. The company’s stock is up 68.7 percent over the past year, and market capitalization recently surpassed Ksh1 trillion ($7.75 billion).
The payout announcement follows a historic financial year that saw Safaricom become the first firm in the region to surpass $3 billion in annual revenue. Group revenue rose 11.2 percent to Ksh388.7 billion ($3.01 billion), while net income increased 10.8 percent to Ksh69.8 billion ($540.5 million).
“We closed the financial year on a strong note, surpassing $3 billion in revenue—a clear signal of our business resilience and growth momentum,” said Group CEO Peter Ndegwa, who owns 0.016% of the company’s shares. “This performance lays a solid foundation for our ambition of becoming a purpose-led tech company in Africa by 2030.”
Vision 2030: Building Africa’s tech future
Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Nairobi, Safaricom has steadily transformed from a traditional telecom provider into a digital powerhouse. Under the leadership of CEO Peter Ndegwa— who owns a 0.016 percent stake in the company, equivalent to 6.2 million shares—Safaricom has widely adopted M-PESA platform, connectivity services, and cloud innovations that are reshaping digital access across Kenya and Ethiopia.
Safaricom’s Vision 2030 strategy revolves around six pillars: expanding 4G device access and affordability, leveraging AI for hyper-personalized customer engagement, scaling financial services, achieving profitability in Ethiopia, accelerating Africa’s digitization, and connecting over two million homes and businesses through fixed broadband.
Over the past five years, the company has paid out Ksh255 billion ($1.98 billion) in dividends and invested Ksh18 billion ($139.4 million) in community-focused initiatives—spanning health, education, and environmental sustainability—that have impacted more than 13 million lives. As it pivots into the next growth phase, Safaricom is positioning itself as a purpose-driven tech force shaping the digital future of Africa.
