2019 Sustainable Business Report

SAFARICOM SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS REPORT 2019 INTRODUCTION OUR BUSINESS OUR MATERIAL TOPICS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT CONCLUDING REMARKS 54 INNOVATION The Innovation department within Safaricom explores and establishes new ways to meet the evolving needs of our customers. It consists of two collaborative and interdependent functions: Products – build and experiment; fail fast and often to develop new, dynamic products and services that might otherwise be considered too risky or time- consuming for the business. Strategic partnerships and engagement – facilitates investment in start-ups through the Safaricom Spark Fund to cultivate partnerships and create an ecosystem in which start-ups may thrive. TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT Our Technology for Development (T4D) unit designs, co-creates and develops products and services that deliver social impact in health, education, agriculture and other areas aligned to the SDGs. The team uncovers new opportunities and unmet needs, then incubates relevant products and services and scales them through the relevant business units. The key focus area for T4D this year has been to extend our existing portfolio of products and services. Development Area Solution Description Health Fafanuka (“be enlightened”), in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance of Kenya (NCDAK) An SMS and USSD 9 service to educate the public, health workers and caregivers on treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and epilepsy. Fafanuka was relaunched in November 2018 and has reached 5,400 unique subscribers. Disaster management M-Salama (“to be safe”), in partnership with the Kenyan Red Cross An SMS-based information tool to provide early warning for disasters (floods, famine and drought). In the long term, M-Salama will enhance disaster preparedness and strengthen community resilience. 9 unstructured service supplementary data.