Kenya's smallest businesses can now pay on credit through M-Pesa. Safaricom launched Fuliza Ya Pochi on 22 October at Makongeni Market in Thika, extending its Fuliza overdraft to merchants who take payments through Pochi La Biashara, the business wallet used by hawkers, kiosks and other informal traders.
How it works
- Who qualifies: merchants who have actively used Pochi La Biashara for more than six months.
- How to join: through the Pochi Mini App on My OneApp, or by dialling *334#.
- Limits: set for each merchant by their business activity.
- What it covers: paying suppliers, Buy Goods purchases, sending money and utility bills when the wallet is short.
- Repayment: deducted automatically from the next payments into the merchant's Pochi wallet.
"Across Kenya, thousands of micro-businesses face daily cash flow gaps that can mean missed sales, delayed stock purchases, or postponed supplier payments," said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom's group chief executive. Safaricom's release does not list the overdraft's fees.
The next step for Fuliza
Fuliza launched in 2019 for individuals and was later extended to Lipa na M-Pesa till holders as Fuliza ya Biashara. Pochi La Biashara, which keeps business and personal money apart, serves more than two million micro-merchants, Safaricom says. Fuliza is a big earner: Safaricom made Sh6bn from it in the year to March 2026, up 46%, according to The Star.
The launch follows a three-month cut in Pochi charges: customer payments up to Sh200 are free, and charges above that are halved, capped at Sh50.
