A shift towards platform consolidation is reshaping how mobile users access financial and digital services, with a single interface now bringing together payments, airtime, data and lifestyle tools that were previously spread across multiple applications.
Safaricom has rolled out My OneApp as part of this transition, merging the functionalities of MySafaricom and the M-PESA Super App into one integrated platform designed to streamline customer journeys and reduce friction in everyday transactions.
The application introduces AI-driven personalisation, allowing the system to learn user behaviour over time and adapt services, recommendations and shortcuts based on usage patterns, location and transaction history.
Customers can now access services such as sending money, paying bills, purchasing airtime and data bundles, and exploring investment tools within a single dashboard, eliminating the need to switch between separate platforms.
The design centres on reducing repetitive inputs, with features such as favourites enabling quick access to frequently used contacts and merchants.
“What we have been doing over the last few years is bringing the two apps together,” said Peter Gichangi, Head of Super Apps at Safaricom Financial Services.
He noted that development of the unified platform followed several years of internal planning, with the last 24 months focused on active build and deployment.
A key addition within the platform is AI Pay, which allows users to scan receipts and automatically extract payment details such as paybill numbers and transaction amounts, prompting the appropriate action within the app.
The platform also introduces an upgraded version of Zuri, Safaricom’s chatbot, designed to deliver a more conversational and responsive experience by allowing users to input free-form requests rather than navigating predefined menus.
“The Zuri that we have introduced now in My OneApp is an agentic Zuri, meaning you can type anything and receive a response without relying on fixed menu prompts,” said Gichangi.
The shift toward intelligent interfaces reflects a broader move toward predictive and context-aware services, where the application anticipates user needs and surfaces relevant options in real time.
“It’s about being ahead of our customers and knowing what they want, whether it is recommending bundles or surfacing services aligned with their lifestyle,” said Gakenia Gathura, Growth Manager for M-PESA Super App.
Development of My OneApp was supported by Safaricom’s Fintech 2.0 platform, which provides enhanced processing capacity, faster transaction speeds and the ability to introduce upgrades without service disruption.
The build process involved more than 800 developers working across the M-PESA ecosystem, enabling delivery of the integrated platform within a compressed development cycle of under six months.
The team also benchmarked global super apps such as WeChat, Alipay and Grab to refine functionality and user experience standards.
Customer input played a central role in shaping the platform, with insights gathered through surveys, dealer feedback, shop interactions and call centre engagements guiding feature prioritisation and interface design.
Approximately 150,000 users participated in beta testing, while an estimated 9 million users from existing Safaricom applications are expected to transition to the new platform over time.
Beyond core services, the platform continues to support a mini-app ecosystem, allowing merchants and partners to integrate services directly into the application without building standalone platforms.
Future enhancements are set to introduce voice-enabled commands and NFC tap-to-pay functionality, enabling contactless transactions at merchant points and expanding the scope of digital payments within the ecosystem.
For Safaricom, the rollout signals a move toward deeper integration of financial services, digital commerce and artificial intelligence within a single mobile interface, positioning the Super App as a central gateway for everyday transactions across its customer base.
