Small businesses get fresh credit lifeline as Safaricom unveils Fuliza ya Pochi

Small traders who run short of cash before their next sale will have a new way to finance their daily operations following Safaricom's launch of Fuliza Ya Pochi, an overdraft service that allows eligible business owners to borrow money through their Pochi La Biashara wallets to pay suppliers, replenish stock and meet other expenses.

The service was unveiled at Makongeni Market in Thika on October 22, 2026, extending Safaricom's mobile lending products to micro-businesses that often depend on daily income to keep their operations going.

Through Fuliza Ya Pochi, qualifying merchants will be able to complete transactions even when their business wallets do not have enough money. The credit can be used to purchase goods, make payments to suppliers, transfer funds and settle utility bills.

Safaricom Group Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa said the new facility would help traders deal with cash shortages that could otherwise interfere with their businesses or cause them to lose sales.

“We are very excited as Safaricom to be launching Fuliza Ya Pochi, which is a credit product for all our Pochi customers,” Ndegwa said.

Access to the service will be limited to merchants who have actively used Pochi La Biashara for more than six months. Each eligible business will receive a credit limit based on its activity, while any outstanding amount will be recovered automatically from money received through subsequent payments into the merchant's Pochi wallet.

Traders can use the service through the Pochi Mini App available on My OneApp or by dialling *334#.

Ndegwa said Safaricom would continue to assess the product as it works to make credit available to more merchants using the business payment platform.

"Fuliza Ya Pochi allows all the 3.3 million customers to be eligible for credit, the same way Fuliza is serving 17 million customers today on the individual side, and we continue to review so that customers who are Pochi users can access credit,” he added.

The new facility builds on Safaricom's existing digital lending business, which includes Fuliza, introduced in 2019, and Fuliza ya Biashara, a service targeting qualifying merchants who use Lipa na M-Pesa.

Pochi La Biashara currently serves more than two million micro-merchants. The platform enables business owners to receive customer payments while maintaining a separation between their business income and personal funds.

For traders who operate on limited working capital, access to an overdraft could help bridge the gap between buying stock and receiving money from customers. The facility is intended to provide short-term support when available funds are not enough to cover immediate business needs.

Grace Wambui, one of the traders who welcomed the launch, said the new service would help her obtain money for stock and avoid interruptions to her business.

“As a businesswoman, I am very happy that Safaricom has introduced Fuliza Ya Pochi because I will now be able to borrow through the service and restock my business. This will help my business continue running smoothly,” Wambui said.

The rollout also follows recent changes by Safaricom aimed at reducing the cost of transactions for customers. The company introduced zero charges on customer payments of up to Sh200 and a 50 per cent reduction in charges for payments above Sh200, subject to a maximum fee of Sh50, for three months.

Fuliza Ya Pochi adds another option for small businesses seeking short-term funding to keep their operations moving. By allowing eligible merchants to transact when their wallets have insufficient funds, Safaricom is seeking to address cash flow gaps among traders who rely on daily sales to restock and meet routine expenses.