Safaricom shareholders have approved a final dividend of KSh1.15 (about $0.01) per share at the company’s 18th annual general meeting (AGM) on 31 July, taking its total payout for the 2026 financial year to a record KSh80.13 billion (approximately $620 million).
The final dividend follows an interim payment of KSh0.85 (about $0.01) per share made in March, bringing the total FY26 dividend to KSh2.00 (about $0.02) per share for the year ended 31 March 2026, the largest annual payout in the company’s history.
The record payout reflects Safaricom’s improved performance and progress in its Ethiopia expansion, the company said.
Safaricom’s share price rose 50.3% over the financial year, lifting its market value to KSh1.10 trillion (about $8.5 billion) by 31 March, and has since increased further to KSh1.44 trillion (about $11.1 billion) in the weeks leading up to the AGM.
Dr Peter Ndegwa, group CEO of Safaricom, said: “This has been a defining year for us. We marked 25 years of connecting and driving transformation through our services and community involvement, while delivering our strongest financial performance yet.”
The company held its dividend flat for three consecutive years while absorbing set-up costs in Ethiopia and managing the effects of the birr’s depreciation following foreign exchange reforms introduced in 2024.
Safaricom said the increase reflects the business emerging from that investment phase, with its Ethiopian subsidiary expected to reach break-even in the next financial year.
Including this year’s payout, shareholders have received approximately KSh280 billion (about $2.2 billion) in cumulative dividends over the past five years.
Adil Khawaja, chairman of Safaricom, said the completion of Vodacom Group’s move to majority ownership strengthens a long-standing partnership.
“It deepens a partnership that goes back to our earliest years and gives us access to the scale, expertise and regional reach of one of Africa’s leading technology groups as we build towards 2030,” he said.
Vodacom, through Vodafone Kenya, acquired an additional 15% stake from the Government of Kenya, bringing its shareholding to 55%. The government retains 20%, with public investors holding 25%.
Shareholders also re-elected Edward Okaro to the board, reappointed Ernst & Young as external auditor, and approved resolutions related to the new shareholding structure, including governance provisions on CEO nomination rights and board composition.
The final dividend is payable on or about 4 September 2026 to shareholders on the register at the close of business on 4 August 2026.
Safaricom reported service revenue of KSh414 billion (about $3.2 billion) for the year to March 2026. Its M-PESA platform generated KSh182.7 billion (roughly $1.4 billion) in revenue and processed transactions worth KSh41.68 trillion (about $322 billion), equivalent to 2.4 times Kenya’s GDP.
Financial inclusion in Kenya has risen to 83.7% of the adult population, from 26.7% in 2006, largely driven by M-PESA.
Safaricom has consistently ranked among East Africa’s most profitable telecoms operators, with M-PESA playing a central role in its growth and regional expansion strategy, including its entry into Ethiopia.
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