Safaricom has launched a managed SD-WAN service for Kenyan businesses, with monthly fees beginning at KSh9,500 per branch.
The service, powered by Huawei equipment, places a software-defined control layer over existing fibre, MPLS, 4G/5G and broadband links, allowing a central dashboard to steer traffic according to application priority, bandwidth and latency.
Safaricom targets multi-site organisations such as retailers, banks, manufacturers, distributors and healthcare providers that need resilient connectivity between branches and headquarters.
Pricing is offered on 12, 24 and 36-month contracts; the Basic Branch package is listed at KSh12,000 per month on a 12-month term, KSh7,800 on a 24-month term and KSh6,400 on a 36-month term, while a Basic Plus branch option is priced at KSh9,500 per month on a 36-month contract and KSh19,800 on a 12-month contract.
Hub packages start at KSh52,100 per month for a 12-month term, KSh29,900 for 24 months and KSh22,500 for 36 months, with a next-generation firewall hub priced at KSh269,600, KSh149,400 and KSh109,700 respectively; the Advanced Plus hub is offered at KSh67,100 per month on a 36-month contract.
All monthly fees include equipment, software, maintenance and 24/7 support, while connectivity charges are billed separately.
Richard Muthua, Safaricom Business Cloud, IoT & Security Lead, said enterprise SD-WAN deployments can involve hardware costs of KSh10 million to KSh15 million, making a managed service attractive.
Tom, Safaricom Business Vertical Lead for Enterprise Sales, said customer feedback highlighted the need for reliability, security, affordability and a managed offering.
Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom PLC, said a single connection failure can halt sales and that the SD-WAN service brings those connections under one managed network for a predictable monthly fee, enabling expansion without large upfront hardware investment.
The service can automatically shift traffic to an alternate link if a primary connection fails, helping keep payment terminals, inventory systems and online ordering operational.
Security is built into the offering, with 256-bit encryption, optional VPN/IPsec and higher-tier packages adding threat protection and next-generation firewall capabilities, and integration with SOC, MDM and SASE services.
Huawei’s presentation claimed the solution can reduce branch deployment effort from 238 person-days to 16 person-days, with central policy preparation taking about three minutes and site rollout about 30 minutes.
Safaricom’s “Ready Mobility” option lets new sites use LTE or 5G while awaiting fibre, supporting rapid expansion of retail networks or temporary locations.
The company clarified that SD-WAN does not replace MPLS but can complement it, allowing existing MPLS links to remain part of a multi-link configuration.
Data-centre infrastructure such as the Digital Realty NBO2 facility underpins the service, and Safaricom said the management platform is orchestrated locally, though customer traffic may still traverse external networks, leaving compliance with data-protection rules dependent on configuration.
The launch comes as Kenya’s connectivity market expands, with fixed internet subscriptions reaching 2.84 million by June 2026, up 32.4 per cent year-on-year, fibre connections at 1.57 million, and Starlink reporting 27,616 Kenyan subscriptions.
Safaricom’s move follows broader trends of fibre, satellite and mobile broadband growth and the development of cross-border routes and data-centre capacity, positioning the company in a competitive landscape where operators are bundling connectivity with cloud, security and managed services.
