Safaricom has today unveiled a new platform that seeks to empower youth by leveraging the power of technology.
The platform is dubbed Safaricom Hook (S-Hook).
Focusing on three key hooks; career, culture, and technology, the platform aims to nurture and support the aspirations of the Gen Z demographic.
It also aims to transform lives by being a technology enabler, through providing access to custom-made offerings that will leverage Safaricom’s extensive mobile network.
Speaking during the launch in Eldoret, the telco’s CEO Peter Ndegwa said Safaricom is keen on helping young people leverage the transformative power of technology.
“Through Safaricom Hook, we aim to provide a platform for young Kenyans seeking inspiration, opportunities, and a sense of belonging in a constantly evolving world. As the name suggests, we want to create a lasting connection with a generation that has unique needs,” he said.
He added that S-Hook seeks to enable Gen Z to maximize their online potential and enjoy a digital lifestyle by facilitating smartphone access and providing relevant value propositions.
This includes the Make Your Own Bundle, which gives users the freedom to decide how much they spend on data and voice, and avail of loyalty rewards and delight offers.
On his part, Uasin Gishu governor Jonathan Bii said before the youth would go to school and after, get jobs.
Today, he said, the world has changed in that after the youth complete school, there are no jobs.
"What fascinates me is the enormous, limitless opportunities that we get through digital platforms," Bii said.
"Safaricom has come in handy to help us redirect our youth into finding new ways to survive. If the internet and the digital space at large are the ways we will use to address youthful unemployment, then so be it.
"We will provide a favourable environment for our youth to thrive in the digital space."
In the tech hook, the telco giant will empower the youth with digital skills through various touchpoints such as Safaricom’s Digital Talent Programme, the Safaricom Engineering Community, and partnerships with several organisations.
They include the Power Learn Project which empowers African youth through software development.
The career hook, which aims to prepare the youth for conventional and unconventional paths, will come to life by working with an array of partners including Meta and Wowzi.
These partners will provide digital training to enable the youth to access the gig economy, and together with Brighter Monday, will also provide guidance for those in conventional careers.
In the culture hook, Safaricom seeks to enable GenZ to pursue passion points such as sports, via Safaricom Chapa Dimba and the upcoming Safaricom Athletics series.
Other passion points include content creation, through Baze, which enables creators to monetize their music and video content as well as Fashion, through partnerships including Artfit, who will be on board to mentor upcoming designers, among others.
To promote a savings culture, S-Hook will leverage M-Pesa Go and the Mali wealth management platforms.
Eligible customers, aged 10 to 24 years, can join the platform through the Safaricom Hook app or via USSD code *555#.