Safaricom launches Fuliza Ya Pochi for small traders

By Lawrence Ongaro

Safaricom has launched Fuliza Ya Pochi, a new credit facility targeting more than one million qualifying micro-merchants using its Pochi La Biashara service, in a move aimed at helping small businesses manage cash flow challenges.

The overdraft facility allows eligible traders to complete business transactions even when their Pochi La Biashara wallets have insufficient funds.

Merchants can use the service to pay suppliers, make Buy Goods purchases, send money and settle utility bills, enabling them to maintain operations during temporary cash shortages.

The service was launched on October 22, 2026, in Thika, extending Safaricom’s M-PESA credit ecosystem to informal businesses and small-scale entrepreneurs who rely on mobile money for daily transactions.

Safaricom Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said the facility would help traders address cash flow gaps that often result in missed sales, delayed stock purchases and postponed supplier payments.

“Fuliza Ya Pochi helps merchants overcome these short-term challenges while continuing to build their businesses,” said Ndegwa, adding that merchants’ transactions could open up greater financial opportunities.

How merchants can access the facility

To qualify, merchants must have actively used Pochi La Biashara for more than six months. They can access Fuliza Ya Pochi through the Pochi Mini App on My OneApp or by dialling *334#.

Eligible merchants will receive overdraft limits determined by their business activity. Repayments will be automatically deducted from subsequent payments received in their Pochi wallets.

Some of the young performers who entertained the public during the launch of Fuliza ya Pochi. Photo by Lawrence Ongaro.

Pochi La Biashara enables entrepreneurs and informal businesses to receive customer payments while keeping business funds separate from personal money. The platform currently serves more than two million micro-merchants.

Introduced in 2019, Fuliza allows M-PESA customers to complete transactions when their available balances are insufficient. Safaricom later extended the service to qualifying Lipa na M-PESA merchants through Fuliza ya Biashara.

Some of the grassroots traders from Thika who attended the Safaricom event. Photo by Lawrence Ongaro.

Fuliza Ya Pochi represents the latest expansion of the credit service to traders using Pochi La Biashara.

The launch follows Safaricom’s recent measures to reduce transaction costs for Pochi users. The company waived charges on customer payments of up to Sh200 and reduced charges by 50 per cent on payments above Sh200, subject to a maximum fee of Sh50, for three months.

The measures are intended to ease transaction costs for merchants as they navigate daily business expenses and seek opportunities to expand their operations.