:: Safaricom continues to baffle
27 March 2007

Mombasa was awash with several brands when I got there to see Bekele being kicked. Everywhere one walked or rode around, there were enough billboards assaulting your senses. Bank of Africa promising to change your life. Unik driving school was everywhere. Unik seems to have cornered the market on the driving education industry. Tusker billboards promised the best party at this campsite place with Prezzo and Kaniball and other pals. Even saw that Stanbic billboard with a young family where they ask if you are tired of paying rent. Kibaki wasn't left behind either with a huge banner proclaiming Kibaki 2007, Working nation at Digo road or thereabouts. And there was Kenya airways welcoming the IAAF family. Nice touch that. The IAAF family. I guess that the IAAF can be roasted those ones of nyinyi ni wengi nyumbani mpaka kuna parking lot ya viatu he he.

The more prominent of the brands for me was Safaricom. They seemed to be one of the title sponsors for the whole event. And it was appreciated I assure you. The Safaricom Company really baffles me sometimes. Sometimes they can be so mean and charge you high tariffs mercilessly and they can turn around a pull off such a patriotic move like this. They probably spent a few bob for the whole event and it was worth it. Around Mombasa, there were several billboards with runners (clearly Kenyan) running a cross country event with Safaricom and its sister company Vodafone welcoming you to the 35 IAAF cross country championships. And they were everywhere with their people dressed in green. And they were handing out these cool flags with Kenya on the one side and Safaricom on the other.

I have to buy gas!

I am hoping that during the period of the cross country, they were playing that advert of theirs with scenes from Mombasa with people chongaing coconuts and walking around Mombasa streets and stuff like that on the telly. It is so Mombasa. And the people of Mombasa seem to have embraced the company with open arms. I never met a single celteler during my whole time here and remember I met quite a few people especially during the day of the cross country.

As I was coming back, I had quite sometime to think about this Safaricom thing. The company hires the best Kenyan talent. There is no doubt about this at all. Only good people work for Safaricom. But the company seems to have fallen in the old KBC trap. Apparently, once upon a time, advertisers would advertise on KBC primarily because they were the only guys with the national reach. But as more and more people spread their wings nationally, KBC has really suffered. Safaricom is simply too successful. Their growth has been astounding. It’s an amazing phenomenon for a company to start a mere seven years ago and get to revenues of several hundred million dollars. This is much better than Heinze the international company that sells Ketchup and similar products and has been around for ages.

So what is baffling to me? The company makes KShs12 billion in pretax profit. And when the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) tells them to slash their prices, their chief executive quickly complains of having to buy gas and other maintenance charges. Sir, you are running the most PROFITABLE COMPANY IN EAST AFRICA EVER and you are complaining about buying gas? I am baffled for what I consider a pretty good reason. I have never heard Celtel complaining they have to buy gas. They are too busy trying to clean up the mess that was Kencell's marketing idiocy to go around complaining about their operating costs being astronomical and preventing them from making Kshs12 BILLION shillings. Clearly Safaricom is the old KBC.

And then off course we all remember their reaction when Celtel pulled of the bomb with their flat rate. They take their Saasa tariff which had an identity crisis and converted it. Ksh8 off peak. Kshs20 peak. Off peak 6 hours a day. My pal quickly switched as it was free to join. When he found out it was shite and tried to get out he had to pay Ksh200 to get out. Trapped! I wonder how many people are stuck in Saasa and bitching. Ahh well... I will not switch back though.

>> Related Links
:: Mombasa beats bloody Bekele
:: Safaricom
:: Celtel
:: Stanbic
:: Bank of Africa
:: Kenya airways
:: IAAF
:: Heinz profits

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