Safaricom and the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) have announced a partnership that will enable the latter’s tenant purchase scheme members make monthly instalments through M-Pesa. The service seeks to combat the spread of coronavirus by providing the scheme’s members with a cashless payment solution which helps them limit their movement and physical contact when making payments.
“Convenience and speed continue to be a key concern when making payments and this has continued to drive the demand for M-Pesa among our customers. This partnership with NSSF ushers a new era for their tenant purchase scheme customers empowering them to make payments from the comfort of their homes,” said Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, chief financial services officer, Safaricom.
The initiative further saves time and money for the customers on the scheme since they do not have to visit banks to pay their rent.
“NSSF has adopted a strategy to go digital by placing all our services at the fingertips of our customers, ensuring that we meet them wherever they are and at their own convenience. Partnering with Safaricom has made it possible for us to achieve this goal by taking advantage of the unique, world class capabilities they provide through M-Pesa,” said Dr. Anthony Omerikwa, Managing Trustee, NSSF.
The partnership will primarily target NSSF’s tenant purchase scheme members in Nairobi’s Nyayo estate -Embakasi, Hazina, Kitisuru, Mountain View and Eldoret’s Kapsoya estate.
Besides payments, the new service provides the scheme members with the capability to reconcile and generate reports of their payments’ status.
Home ownership
The NSSF tenant purchase scheme provides a path to home ownership by enabling buyers purchase a home over a period of time by making payments through monthly instalments. The scheme also provides an avenue to the tenants for making service charge payments.
This announcement is the latest in a raft of measures rolled out by the two organizations to provide NSSF customers with increased convenience and speed when accessing services. Effective March 2019, NSSF began the rollout of a cashless system across its entire branch network, while in February 2020, it extended its Haba Haba innovation to digital taxi operators and boda boda riders.