The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
By Priscilla Muhairwe
Safaricom features among the most innovative companies in the world in 2013 listing as number 9.
Its innovations starting with M-pesa a mobile money service, which was launched In April 2007, following a student software development project from Kenya, their innovative thinking and clever product implementation which strives to enhance customer convenience and experience has been a huge success amongst Africans.
Safaricom has got its market for its products spreading all over the region and continent.
In 2012 it came up with M-Shwari, which allows its M- pesa customers to open up electronic accounts with Commercial Bank of Africa using Safaricom menus on their mobile phones. The service does not limit what they have to deposit and customers are able to deposit one shilling and start getting interest rates on their savings.
However, the Fast Company Most Innovative focuses mainly on the launch of the Daktari 1525 in late 2011, a 24/7 call-in service that, for a small fee, connects callers one-on-one with a doctor.
For Kenya’s case, where more than half of citizens live on less than a dollar a day, medical care can be a far-off luxury. But local telecom giant Safaricom has built a vital bridge between doctor and patient. Safaricom partnered with Call-a- Doc Limited, the company provides a pool of 50 qualified doctors.
This year, it’s boosting marketing to get more customers calling, and more Kenyans healthy. Other companies in the top ten include; Nike, Amazon, Uber, Pinterest and Square
