NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 2 – Kenyans can now advertise, buy and sell their wares through their mobile phones, following the launch of the Safaricom Classified Service.
Through this service, subscribers of the country’s leading telecoms operator can advertise their products and services via the firm’s mobile portal at just Sh100 for up to five days.
To advertise a product or service on the mobile portal, subscribers are required to send a short message (SMS) with the details of their products or service, price and contacts to 511. In order to buy, say a car, they will be required to log on www.safaricom.com from their mobile phones, select Classifieds and then Vehicles for Sale link which will give them an opportunity to search all the available models on sale and their details.
Commenting on the launch, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Michael Joseph said the new service would enable the firm’s subscribers to buy or sell their products conveniently and in an efficient, cost effective and secure manner.
“With this new service, Kenyans can sell and buy products and services through their mobile phones faster and with less hassle, on Kenya’s fastest-growing online market place. In line with our tradition of innovation, we will continue to introduce cutting edge products that meet the ever-changing needs of our subscribers,” he said.
Each advert will be charged Sh100 for a period of up to five days. Some of the products and services that are being advertised on the mobile portal include cars, jobs, property sale and personals.
The launch of the new service comes at a time when Safaricom is widening the gulf between it and the competition in the data market. The company is now able to offer a total end-to-end offering for corporate, SME, home and individual users.
Recently, the company launched another service dubbed Easy Travel which has revolutionised the booking, confirmation and payment of air tickets for regional routes. The service allows travellers to book their airline tickets from their mobile phones through the portal and pay through the M-PESA money transfer service.
Through a raft of new innovative services, the company is targeting to recruit more data subscribers, as a key plank of its push to increase its penetration of Kenya’s data market.
The introduction of the new services underpins Safaricom’s leadership in the mobile data market by leveraging its anchor stake in TEAMS and investment in Seacom undersea cables and its globally-acclaimed M-PESA money transfer service. Safaricom has also acquired the exclusive usage of Jamii Telecoms’ expansive metro fibre network in key cities in Kenya.
Last year, Safaricom acquired a majority stake in One Com and proposes to acquire Packet Stream Data, both of which use Wimax technology.
