Rising smartphone uptake creating new business opportunities in Kenya

With mobile money powering financial inclusion in Kenya, subscriptions grew by 7.2% to 45.4- million, while registered mobile money agents grew by 5.5% to 417,000. Machine-to-machine (M2M) subscriptions, which are vital for the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart devices, also rose by 3.5% to nearly two million. 

These figures are important for marketers, retailers, banks and others in Kenya, given the rapid rise of the digital economy and digitally focused strategies. 

The report from the Communications Authority of Kenya covers the period January to March 2025. In it, the authority notes that the mobile penetration rate now sits at 145%, reflecting the increasing impact of mobile technology in the daily lives of ordinary Kenyans. 

Breaking down the mobile penetration rate, smartphone penetration stands at 80.8% and feature phone penetration at 62.2%. 

New business opportunities from e-commerce to e-learning 

“This shift towards more advanced devices is enabling Kenyans to access a wider range of digital services, from e-commerce to e-learning,” comments the authority. 

Analysing the report, the Kenyan Wall Street financial news website notes: “Mobile money has become the financial backbone of many rural households. From facilitating small-scale trade and remittances to enabling savings, credit, and insurance, mobile money platforms are bridging the gap left by sparse physical banking infrastructure.  

“In regions where banks and ATMs are few and far between, mobile money agents – whose numbers rose by 5.5% to 417,000 nationwide – provide critical access points for cash-in and cash-out transactions.” 

Kenyan Wall Street continues: “For smallholder farmers, traders and informal workers, mobile money offers a secure, convenient, and low-cost way to handle payments, receive proceeds from produce sales, and even access micro-loans.  

“The integration of mobile wallets with digital marketplaces has also enabled rural entrepreneurs to reach customers beyond their localities, supporting economic resilience and growth.”