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Safaricom and Vodacom now jointly fully own MPESA mobile money transfer platform

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Safaricom and Vodacom now jointly fully own MPESA mobile money transfer platform

Safaricom and Vodacom have announced completion of full acquisition of the M-PESA brand, product development and support services from Vodafone through a newly-created joint venture. Safaricom had shown interest to acquire the brand from Vodafone sometime during last year a measure that was seen to give the telecom giant an upper hand to innovate and introduce additional functionalities on the platform rather than having to go through Vodafone.  

The completion of this transaction comes a year later after it was first announced and is expected to boost MPESA’s growth in the continental Africa by providing both Safaricom and Vodacom full control of product development and support services as well as the opportunity to expand M-PESA into new markets.

Speaking on the joint venture, Vodacom’s group CEO Shameel Joosub, said the acquisition presented a significant milestone for Vodacom as its expected to boost the firm’s financial services aspirations in Africa. He also added the move will allow Vodacom and Safaricom to drive the next generation of the M-PESA platform – an intelligent, cloud-based platform for the smartphone age. It will also help Vodacom promote greater financial inclusion and help bridge the digital divide within the communities in which it operates.

On its part, Safaricom’s outgoing CEO Michael Joseph, said the telco was excited to have the management, support and development of the M-PESA platform relocated to Kenya, where the journey to transform the world of mobile payments began 13 years ago. He also acknowledged the new venture would allow Safaricom to consolidate platform development as well as synchronize more closely product roadmaps, and improve operational capabilities into a single, fully converged Centre of Excellence.”

Vodafone on its part through group CEO’s message read by Nick highlighted how MPESA had been hugely successful by enabling millions of unbanked people in Africa to transfer money, pay bills and trade. The message also read how MPESA had benefited communities as well as create a multitude of small and micro-business ventures. Consequently, he acknowledged that, with rapid increase in smartphone penetration, evolution into financial services and the potential for geographical expansion, Vodafone believed the next step in M-PESA’s African growth will be more effectively overseen by Vodacom and Safaricom.” Currently, M-PESA prides to have the largest payments platform on the African continent with over 40 million users and processes running beyond a billion transactions every month. M-PESA is operational in Kenya, Tanzania, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mozambique and Egypt. Currently around 25% of all M-PESA customers have access to a smartphone – a figure that is growing by 10% every year.

Mobile phone app lenders in Kenya waive late repayment fees over corona virus

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Mobile phone app lenders in Kenya waive late repayment fees over corona virus

Coming as a relief to most Kenyans who have relied on mobile phone app loans that were due sometime this month, Members of the Digital Lenders Association (DLAK) have now agreed to waive the late repayment fees as part of steps taken to cushion customers who are already experiencing hard economic climate over the coronavirus pandemic.

Lenders from android applications such as Zenka, Pesa Flash, Flash Pesa, iPesa amongst others have been charging customers a percentage interest daily on loans that are due. This has been quite a hustle for most Kenyans with some seeing as much as Ksh1000 accrued from interest in just a period of one week.

It is however not clear if these lenders will allow customers to borrow again once they’ve cleared their previous loans. Customers on platforms such as Zenka have been met with ineligibility regret once they had cleared previous loans making it difficult to survive during this period. Others such as Tala are now subjecting customers to up to ten days to have their loan applications approved.

 Members of the digital lender’s association said the waiver was aimed at providing customers with a soft landing as slowdown in economy had affected their income.

“Customers are advised to seek more detailed information on the specific aspects of the waiver from their respective providers,” read the statement.

“The move will cushion the customers who are under distress, following the slowdown in the economy after disruptions to their day to day operations that could have had an effect on regular income flow.”

The digital lenders association further pledges support the directive issued by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s on the temporary suspension of listing with the Credit Reference Bureaus (CRB) of any person, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and corporate entities whose loan account falls overdue or is in arrears effective April 1, 2020.

The digital lenders association is composed of 12 founding members among them; Tala, Zenka Finance, Alternative Circle, Stawika Capital, MyCredit, Okolea, LPesa, Kopacent, Four Kings Investment T/A Sotiwa, Mobile Financial Solutions (MFS), Kuwazo Capital, and Finance Plan Ltd, Branch, Vaell, Roamtech solutions, Aspira and MicroMobile.

How to solve the ‘sms text messages – waiting to backup’ problem on your android phone

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to solve the ‘sms text messages – waiting to backup’ problem on your android phone

Having automated backups run on your android phone whenever it’s connected to the internet can be the difference of losing everything on your device from text messages to photos and conveniently being able to recover your data when shifting devices. But as I explained in my previous post, there are bound to be bugs that limit this convenience especially after shifting to a new device as I experienced with my Google Pixel.

After I successfully restarted automated backups as I described in my previous post, I noticed that while all the backups were running smoothly from photos to settings, my sms text messages were never backed-up and stuck on “waiting to backup” for days. After several troubleshooting, I managed to have them backup through a tedious but effective method.

First of all, the ‘waiting to backup’ bug emanated from some kind of encryption related issue that somehow was only present on devices with a screen lock. Whether you are using a pattern, pin or password, this issue affected all of them. Some were lucky to have the sms text messages – waiting to backup bug go away after sometime especially after leaving their devices plugged on the wall adaptor while connected to the Wi-Fi overnight.

How to solve the sms text messages – waiting to backup bug on your android phone

To successfully get rid of this bug, you need to follow the following steps exactly. Assuming you already have attempted the steps highlighted in my previous post and have the fastboot / adb installed on your computer, follow the following steps exactly. If this is the first time you are trying to force google drive backups via adb shell, then have a look at this steps before you continue

  • Assuming all the steps in my previous post have been followed, then proceed as below;
  • Kickstart the backup process by running below command;
adb shell bmgr run bmgr backupnow --all
  • Accept any prompts on your device and restart the phone
  • You’ll notice the backup now button is blue, don’t touch this button until you’ve done as below
  • Disable the screenlock either pattern, pin, password of whichever you use then return on system – backup and press on the backu now button. Notice sms text messages is no longer stuck on waiting to backup!
  • Wait for the backup to complete then re-enable screen lock
  • Restart your device and you should notice the system – backup now button is greyed out again
  • Open the adb shell and repeat the command;
adb shell bmgr run bmgr backupnow --all
  • Restart your device and everything should now be working as expected

How to install and use safaricom and other loan/banking apps on a rooted android device

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to install and use safaricom and other loan/banking apps on a rooted android device

The main difference between android and iOS lies in the ability to have full control over your device; while android operating system traditionally comes equipped with numerous customizations, iOS on the other hand believes they know exactly what you need and not need. There’s however ways you can access more tweaks on an iOS device at least on those still running older versions of the OS through jailbreaking as apple has recently caught up with the jail break community by patching most exploits in their latest software.

What is rooting in android and effects on your device

Rooting in the android ecosystem basically refers to the process that allows you to attain root access to the operating system code, thereby giving you ability to enhance functionality and or tweak how the device behaves. Understandably, this should be a good thing mostly, however; rooting your device can negatively impact the security of your data as some applications might maliciously use your data if given root access.

If you only use a handful of trusted applications you might not need to worry about malicious apps, but still not all is rosy. There are a ton of applications especially banking apps, mySafaricom app and a few loan apps that won’t natively run on a rooted device. There are however a few ways to use these applications flawlessly on a rooted device by using a few applications such as Magisk to hide root from them.

how to install and use safaricom and other loan/banking apps on a rooted device using Magisk

  • First, you’ll need to install Magisk manager apk on your device
  • Assuming you already have recovery installed on your device, if not find my best TWRP – Team win software here and follow their instructions to install
  • Launch Magisk manager and select to install Magisk select the zip version and boot after download has completed into the recovery mode
  • Choose install and select the downloaded zip file
  • Reboot your device and launch Magisk Manager, then on the settings select Magisk Hide
  • Select all the applications you want to hide root from and that’s it!

Important tips for buying genuine value for money refurbished and used phones in Kenya

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Important tips for buying genuine value for money refurbished and used phones in Kenya

We understand “New” is not for everyone especially if you are limited financially but still prefer to get some Oomph from your hard earned money. Even though the situation has not always been so especially when it comes to buying new smartphones here in Kenya but most have come to appreciate and embrace used devices as a way to own great phones without paying handsomely.   

There are a ton of places you’d easily be able to purchase a great phone, at the same time as time can tell, we also need to be careful so as not to purchase devices that have been stolen; and let’s face it phones that most muggers in Nairobi streets steal from unsuspecting Nairobians usually end up on some of these markets. We therefore need to have a list of minimum threshold so that as we maximize value for our hard earned cash, we also don’t profit thieves.

Here are some of important tips we need to adhere to when buying refurbished and used smartphones;

Source / market – where the refurbished phones are sold

Local classifieds platforms have sprung up as one of the most common places to buy used or refurbished phones, however we also must consider these platforms can as well be used buy scrupulous Kenyans to dispose items acquired illegally. We therefore need to be careful unless the seller has a physical shop and ca issue some type of documentation. From my experience, popular online platforms such as amazon and ebay have been my go-to whenever I need a used device. Some sellers will go as far as to avail background checks on the device such as IMEI and so forth. Otherwise I’d be at peace buying from a friend or someone I can hold accountable in case I have a bad run with the law enforcement.

Type of smartphone – I always prefer previous flagship devices and for a good reason

Phone manufacturers usually unveil two or more devices in a financial year targeting two of the most important niches on the market. More than often you’ll see the likes of Samsung and Apple unveil a smartphone targeting the so called power users of high-end marketing with a price tag of a thousand dollars as well another device within the hundredths range targeting those who are keen to spend less. Occasionally; after a period of two or more years, you’d be able to purchase these flagships with just a few dollars – and this is what I call value for money.  

Software Support – in the world of custom ROMS, this is a big deal

Except for iPhone users, popular flagships such as the galaxies and phones from Taiwanese manufacturer – HTC come with an unlockable bootloader. This basically means you’d be able to install the newest versions of android OS long after the manufacturers have stopped supporting the device. I’ve always had a good run with HTC as the manufacturer offers an ample way to unlock the bootloader through the HTCdev tools.

Specifications

The specs must have been on the killer side within the period that device was unveiled. We don’t just buy because it cheap but has to meet some basic requirements such as amount of RAM, internal storage and whether or not supports an external MicroSD.

Grade

Examine the photos to make sure the device is presentable and still usable. You’ll be at peace with a device with all of its hardware in a usable condition than one having to be repaired or parts replaced. Finally, be ready to purchase a new battery, it’s a small price you’ll have to pay for a longer lasting device.

Safaricom and digital learning content providers partner to enable free access

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Safaricom and digital learning content providers partner to enable free access

Schools in most countries are not operational following the spread of corona virus, this has led to most learners depending on digital learning platforms instead to continue with their education. Safaricom – Kenya’s largest mobile service provider in both data and voice has partnered with Eneza Education, Longhorn Publishers and Viusasa to provide free access to educational content for primary and secondary school students studying from home here in Kenya.

Speaking on the development, Safaricom’s new CEO Peter Ndegwa indicated that during this difficult times in Kenya and the world at large, Safaricom was continuously looking for avenues it can be beneficial to its customers. He also acknowledged the initiative was meant to ensure that all students can access education content, whether through feature phones or smartphones, so as to keep up with their studies for the time they will be at home.

By partnering with Eneza Education, students from grade 4 all the way to form 4 will be able to access learning and revision content on the SMS-based Shupavu291 free of charge following a 60-day waiver of the daily KES 3 subscription fee.

Learners will also be able to access education content on Shupavu Web, Viusasa E-learning and the Longhorn E-learning portal through the Safaricom network at no data cost, up to 250MB per day, for the next 60 days [Update: offer has been extended to September while schools are closed].

Eneza Education on its part through CEO Wambura Kimunyu noted they were excited with the partnership resulting in making Shupavu291 platform free to learners across the country during this time. He also added that content would be delivered via SMS and does not require an internet connection, and this ease of access had seen more than 5.3 million students use the platform.

How to access free learning content during the corona period

In 2019, Shupavu291, which is accessed via USSD *291# or through the short code 20851, saw 6.2 million quizzes taken and more than 1 million questions asked on the Ask-A-Teacher platform.

The free to access platforms are as below and will also be available on www.safaricom.com/elimu:

Shupavu Web: www.mwalimoo.com/m

Viusasa E Learning: https://viusasa.com/elimu

Longhorn e-learning: https://elearning.longhornpublishers.com/login/index.php

This is how you can pay for your Matatu fares using Mpesa on participating Saccos

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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This is how you can pay for your Matatu fares using Mpesa on participating Saccos

Kenyans commuting in certain matatus will now have an option to pay for their fares via Mpesa rather than carrying cash that’s been linked to highly likely transmit the Corona virus through contact with infected people. The current trend is introducing the use of cashless payments in almost every sector in the country and for a good reason. A much as we’d effectively practice social distancing and disinfecting our hands every now and then, carrying cash has always been a thorn likely to undermine all of these efforts in curbing the spread of the virus.

However, we can now breathe easy as most merchants as well as public service transport operators now accept cashless payments via Mpesa mobile money thanks to Safaricom. Safaricom earlier on when the first patients of Corona virus were confirmed in the country, partnered with public transport sector players to accept cashless payments through Mpesa.

It should also be noted that the government has always strived to introduce cashless payments in the matatu sector as a means to stem cartels in in the sector without success. We all remember the now vanished pepea card from KCB as well as others that failed miserably in eliminating the need for commuters to pay cash by just swiping their cards every time they boarded a matatu.

Speaking on the partnership, Safaricom’s Chief Financial Services Officer Sitoyo Lopokoiyit noted that many businesses were seeing an increase in demand for Mpesa payments after the effects of Corona virus and that Safaricom’s move to eliminate transaction fees on KES 1,000 and below made it easier. He also acknowledged the move to partner with different public transit players brought convenience and safety of M-PESA to the crucial sector given the widespread uptake of public transport across the country.

Currently, the cashless matatu fare through Mpesa service has already been deployed to more than 300 City Star Shuttle vehicles in Nairobi and will be rolled out to additional players in the coming days, helping them further comply with the Government’s recommendations to combat the spread of Coronavirus.

How to Pay for matatu fare using Mpesa

Passengers paying their fares through the service will follow the standard procedure when sending money to another person, keying the number provided by the crew.

  • Matatu crew will provide an Mpesa number such as 0720000000, rather than till number as is with many merchants
  • To pay, Mpesa customers need to head-over to Mpesa menu, select “Send Money”
  • Then select “Enter Phone no”
  • Put the number given by the crew followed by fare amount and your Mpesa PIN

By accepting Mpesa payments, the matatu sector will be implementing a vital measure to help minimize the impact of Coronavirus to its customers and to help them avoid the use of cash, Safaricom has announced all its M-PESA customers can Send Money for free for transactions of KES 1,000 and below for a 90 day period.

Tips on how to restart automatic Google drive backups of your android phone

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Tips on how to restart automatic Google drive backups of your android phone

For a long time, I’ve relied on the Apple devices as my daily drivers owing to their perceived advanced level of security and simplicity in use, but I’ve just come to realize since android 10 (Q), Google has just as well made commendable strides in the arena. But as expected, when I decided to have a ride with the latest version of Google’s OS, the pixel devices were my first choice. I had heard of their snappy operations; furthermore, this was a device from Google itself we’re talking about.

As expected, my journey had to overcome some hiccups first; I settled on the affordable Google Pixel 3a and boy-oh-boy, I couldn’t be happier. The device is just as fast as apple alternatives and given it’s from Google themselves, often than not is used to benchmark numerous alternatives on the same platform. Now Apple backs up everything on your device to the iCloud, so that in case you change a device or just want to clean it up, there’s always somewhere to restore your precious data from. Google does this as well but only better.

For starters, you have lots of storage to deal with and pixel devices such as the 3a are entitled to unlimited original quality backups of photos and videos at no extra cost! But my experience wasn’t as smooth as I expected. Heading over to System – Backups kept saying “waiting to backup” for days with a greyed out “backup now” button! This basically meant nothing was being uploaded. But there was a way to handle this, only that it need some bit of patience as well as hands-on with ADB commands. A proven easy way out would be disabling any form of screen lock, but this is just not the best solution.

How to restart automatic google drive backups when your android phone keeps showing “waiting to backup”

  • First, you’ll need to download the adb tool from here
  • Make sure your phone has usb debugging enabled in the developer tools
  • Then run below command in the adb tool
adb shell bmgr run bmgr backupnow --all

Backups should now resume and the backup now button back to its blue color.

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