Kenya’s telecom giant, Safaricom is set to launch e-commerce platform, Masoko in the coming weeks, TechWeez first reported the development.
The platform would provide an avenue for local merchants, including supermarkets, and customers to interact and trade in a bid for Safaricom to boost its M-Pesa payments platform (Lipa na M-Pesa).
Like other general ecommerce platforms, it will stock various items from tech to fashion and food products.
While the internal testing phase for Masoko will be launched today, July 27, with a 50-percent off offer for employees on all fashion items, it would be launched to the public before the end of August.
Masoko comes with a number of advantages that would give it an edge over big players like Jumia and Kilimall.
With Sendy for logisitics, Safaricom’s deep pocket – as it controls close to 70% of Kenya’s stock market, millions of Safaricom subscribers – who will all be turned to Masoko customers, as well as Lipa na M-Pesa for online payments, they are coming fully ready to take on the market. Jumia and Kilimall sure have a lot to deal with in a few weeks.