A new Customer Satisfaction Survey by the Communications Authority (CA) reveals that Airtel Kenya is the most preferred network for affordability.
However, Safaricom’s 2025 Annual Report suggests the market leader is launching a massive counter-strategy rooted in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and “Customer Obsession” to reclaim its value perception.
The Affordability Gap: Airtel’s Dominance
According to the CA survey, 47.1% of respondents prefer Airtel specifically for its affordable services. This highlights a growing price sensitivity in a market where 1GB of data remains more expensive than in regional peers like Tanzania and Ghana.
| Telco Provider | Affordability Preference (%) | Quality of Service Score (%) |
| Airtel Kenya | 47.1% | 25.8% |
| Jamii Telecommunications | 26.8% | 26.8% |
| Telkom Kenya | 25.0% | 22.0% |
| Safaricom | 19.6% | 10.4% |
While Airtel dominates the “affordability” narrative, the report uncovers deep systemic issues in network reliability that Safaricom is aggressively moving to exploit through its “Customer Obsession” and AI-driven strategy.
The Affordability Paradox
Airtel’s primary competitive advantage remains price, with 47.1% of its users choosing it for affordability compared to Safaricom’s 19.6%. However, the CA report highlights a “quality tax” associated with lower costs:
-
Call Drops: Airtel leads in customer complaints at 39.2%, significantly higher than Safaricom’s 13.2%.
-
Signal Strength: Nearly two-thirds (64.8%) of Airtel customers cited poor coverage as their main issue, with 14.3% reporting weak or no signal “all the time.”
-
Broadband Stability: 26.8% of Airtel users report that speeds vary considerably and connections drop regularly.
Safaricom’s Strategic Response: “Customer Obsession”
Acknowledging the “tough socio-economic environment” where customers demand more for less, Safaricom has detailed a transition from a traditional telco to a leading technology company (TechCo) by 2025.
The AI-Driven Evolution
Safaricom is leveraging Artificial Intelligence to refine customer segmentation and deliver personalized value. Key initiatives from the 2025 report include:
-
Predictive Personalization: Using AI to understand unique customer needs and offer tailored, affordable product bundles.
-
Fraud Reduction: An 87% reduction in fraud achieved through AI-powered social engineering detection, aimed at providing a “worry-free” experience.
-
Fintech 2.0: A cloud-native upgrade to M-PESA designed for higher scalability and faster transaction processing.
The Trust Dividend: Security & Fraud
The CA report found that 41.7% of Kenyans are hesitant to engage in e-commerce due to fraud concerns.
Safaricom reported an 87% reduction in fraud during the year through AI-powered social engineering detection. Its “worry-free” brand positioning is a direct attempt to win over the 41.7% of skeptical consumers identified in the CA survey.
Safaricom Cybersecurity Summit 2025 Showcases AI-Powered Defences and Digital Trust
Network Performance Metrics (CA Drive Test vs. Perception)
While users perceive gaps, the CA’s technical Drive Tests tell a story of Safaricom’s infrastructure lead:
| Metric | Safaricom | Airtel | Telkom | CA Target |
| Overall QoS Performance | 85.7% | 79.7% | 55.0% | 80% |
| Complaint Handling Satisfaction | 69.8% | ~64.0% | 62.2%* | N/A |
| Staff Politeness/Knowledge | 81.9% | ~70.0% | 18.7%* | N/A |
| *Data for Jamii/Telkom per CA report observations on budget providers cutting human resource costs. |
Eliminating “Customer Pain”
To counter poor perception scores, Safaricom has introduced a “Customer Experience-Ready Gate” for all new products. This framework ensures no product launches unless it meets non-negotiable standards of ease and value.
“Our Customer Obsession team acts as a strategic compass, guiding iterative efforts to stay focused on creating and maximizing customer value without compromising commercial outcomes,” Safaricom 2025 Annual Report.
Beyond Connectivity: Lifestyle & Digital Infrastructure
While the CA report noted that network coverage is no longer the primary deciding factor for many Kenyans, Safaricom is shifting the battlefield to Lifestyle Services:
-
Transformational Storytelling: Maximizing social media to offer “aspirational products” that go beyond basic voice and data.
-
Device Access: Boosting smartphone penetration from 44% to 50% via the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo financing plan, ensuring more Kenyans can access the digital economy.
-
Green Connectivity: Transitioning 1,400 network sites to renewable energy to appeal to the environmentally conscious modern consumer.
