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Safaricom is introducing Ziidi Trader, a share-trading service built into the M-Pesa app, a move set to transform how Kenyans invest in listed companies and potentially boost retail participation at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).
The platform will enable users to buy and sell NSE-listed shares directly through M-Pesa and USSD, eliminating the need for investors to open individual Central Depository System (CDS) accounts with stockbrokers.
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Instead, investors’ funds will be consolidated into a single omnibus account overseen by Kestrel Capital, which will manage transactions behind the scenes.
Market players say the new structure is designed to attract first-time and small-scale investors who have previously been discouraged by complex account-opening procedures, paperwork, and minimum balance requirements.
Stockbrokers integrated into the Ziidi Trader system are expecting increased trading volumes to compensate for slimmer margins per transaction.
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Traditionally, retail investors had to open CDS accounts with licensed brokers, with M-Pesa only serving as a payment channel. Ziidi Trader changes this by combining trading, payments, price discovery, and portfolio management into one mobile platform.
The NSE says the pooled account approach will allow quicker trade execution, reduce friction for low-value trades, and offer some degree of anonymity to retail investors.
The exchange believes the platform could help revive declining retail investor numbers, particularly among young and first-time participants.
Safaricom Chief Financial Officer Dilip Pal said Ziidi Trader reflects deeper collaboration across Kenya’s financial ecosystem, including regulators, fintech firms, developers, and government agencies.
President William Ruto, speaking at the launch, described the platform as a major step toward widening access to investment opportunities and making capital markets more inclusive.
With Ziidi Trader, users can monitor live share prices, manage portfolios, and trade seamlessly within the M-Pesa app. However, analysts note that its success will hinge on investor education, robust oversight of pooled accounts, and strong regulatory safeguards to protect investors.
