Safaricom’s Maisha Ni Digital Campaign: A holistic approach to address the barriers preventing Kenyan women from using mobile internet

GSMA published a paper that looks at the impact of Maisha Ni Digital (‘Life Is Digital’) campaign launched by Safaricom, in partnership with Google, to promote the adoption and use of mobile internet in Kenya. The study hinges on a mixed-methods research design, reaching out to more than 650 Safaricom customers, either via a phone survey or qualitative interviews. It provides an assessment of the impact of the Maisha Ni Digital campaign on women’s adoption and use of mobile internet as well as the commercial benefits for Safaricom. It further identifies key lessons learned and practical recommendations for mobile operators and other stakeholders committed to reaching more women with internet-enabled devices. The study found that while social networks and face-to-face support contribute to driving mobile internet adoption, particularly among women, lack of confidence, knowledge, and time to learn are still hampering some women from purchasing a smartphone and using mobile internet.