Women Traders Lead Kenya’s Digital Business Shift as Pochi la Biashara Usage Surges
Women micro-entrepreneurs are increasingly shaping Kenya’s digital commerce landscape, with new findings showing they are now the largest and fastest-growing users of Safaricom’s Pochi la Biashara platform.
A report released by the GSMA together with research partners IDinsight and YUX reveals that women accounted for over 52 percent of active Pochi users by December 2025, translating to more than 900,000 merchants across the country.
The report further shows that active women users grew by approximately 92 percent between December 2024 and December 2025, outpacing the 78 percent growth recorded among men.
The findings highlight the growing role of women-led micro-businesses in Kenya’s informal economy, where digital financial tools are increasingly becoming essential for daily trade, savings, and business management.
Pochi la Biashara, launched in 2020, enables traders to separate business money from personal finances through a dedicated M-PESA wallet. The platform also offers features such as non-reversible customer payments, mini-statements, airtime commissions, savings tools, and access to working-capital loans.
According to the report, many women entrepreneurs adopted the platform because it addressed common challenges faced in informal business operations, including difficulties tracking profits, mixing household and business funds, and exposure to fraudulent payment reversals.
Researchers found that the service is not only changing how traders receive payments, but also improving financial habits among users. About 35.6 percent of new users reported saving more money after joining the platform, while 24.2 percent said their businesses recorded increased sales.
One woman trader from Kajiado County described the impact of the service in personal terms:
“Pochi makes me feel like the CEO of my business. I’m in control, I track my money, and I’m able to support my family.”
The rapid uptake has also translated into commercial gains for Safaricom. The report notes that Pochi la Biashara generated KSh1.68 billion in revenue during the first half of fiscal year 2026, while the number of accounts rose by 72.6 percent year-on-year to approximately 1.5 million.
The study, based on interviews with 1,992 women micro-entrepreneurs in Nairobi, Murang’a and Kajiado counties, found that trust and human interaction remain important in digital adoption. Peer recommendations and face-to-face onboarding by agents were cited as key factors influencing uptake.
At the same time, the report raised concerns around safety and privacy for women using digital payments. Some traders reported harassment from customers who obtained their phone numbers from payment stickers displayed at shops and market stalls.
In response, Safaricom has removed phone numbers from payment notifications and says it is developing additional privacy features expected to roll out in 2026 to strengthen safety for merchants using the platform.