Safaricom on Tuesday unveiled Ziidi Trader, a mobile trading platform that allows Kenyans to buy and sell shares directly through the M-Pesa mobile money service, in a move expected to broaden retail participation in the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE).
The launch, presided over by President William Ruto at the NSE, marks a significant shift in how everyday investors access the stock market. Traditionally, investors needed to open a Central Depository System (CDS) account through a stockbroker and could only use M-Pesa for payments. With Ziidi Trader, Safaricom has integrated Kestrel Capital as the sole broker for trades, allowing investors to trade directly from their mobile phones without requiring separate CDS accounts.
“Today marks a shift in how everyday M-Pesa users can access the stock market,” Safaricom said in a statement. “Ziidi Trader brings the ability to buy and sell NSE shares directly inside M-Pesa, removing traditional barriers that have kept many people on the sidelines.”
The platform leverages Safaricom’s existing know your customer (KYC) framework, with customers’ mobile money PINs serving as authorization for trades. Investors can view detailed market information, including bid and ask prices, available shares, company logos, and descriptions. The maximum daily transaction on M-Pesa for trading is set at US$3,380 (KSh 500,000).
Ziidi Trader aims to replicate the success of Safaricom’s 2017 mobile bond trading initiative, which allowed Kenyans to purchase and sell government bonds via mobile phones—the first of its kind globally. During a three-month pilot, Kestrel Capital oversaw the integration and reported smooth operations, paving the way for the platform’s nationwide rollout.
More Read
The NSE anticipates that the mobile platform will encourage greater retail participation by making trading faster, more accessible, and more anonymous. Analysts note that Kenya’s stock market has traditionally struggled with low retail investor penetration, and mobile integration could help democratize access to equities.
Safaricom has previously seen strong results from its Ziidi Money Market Fund, which posted US$2.39 million (KSh 354.36 million) in investment income for the half-year ending June 30, 2025. The fund’s total assets rose to US$72.2 million (KSh 10.68 billion), with unitholder balances of US$71.6 million (KSh 10.59 billion), demonstrating the appetite for mobile-based investment solutions in Kenya. The fund invests in fixed deposits, government securities, call deposits, and corporate bonds.
The rollout of Ziidi Trader comes amid rising interest in digital financial services in Kenya, where mobile money has already transformed payments, lending, and savings. By extending mobile technology to stock trading, Safaricom aims to create a seamless investment ecosystem that integrates savings, investments, and trading into a single mobile platform.
More Read
Industry observers say that while Kestrel Capital is currently the exclusive broker for Ziidi trades, the platform could expand access to other brokers in the future, enhancing competition and market liquidity.
“Ziidi Trader represents a leap forward in financial inclusion,” said one Nairobi-based financial analyst. “By leveraging M-Pesa, Safaricom is bringing stock trading to a wider audience, potentially transforming investment culture in Kenya.”
As Kenya’s retail investors increasingly embrace mobile technology, platforms like Ziidi Trader could reshape the dynamics of the local stock market, making participation easier, faster, and more transparent. Safaricom’s move underscores the growing role of mobile technology in expanding access to financial markets across Africa.
