“You Must Use Pochi for Six Months”: Safaricom Reveals Three Requirements for Traders Seeking Fuliza ya Pochi

Safaricom has announced three key requirements that small business owners must meet to qualify for its new Fuliza ya Pochi overdraft service. The facility is designed to help traders continue running their businesses when they do not have enough money in their Pochi la Biashara accounts.

The service allows eligible business owners to borrow money to complete transactions, pay suppliers and purchase stock during temporary cash shortages. The borrowed amount will then be recovered automatically from money received into their business accounts.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, October 22, 2026, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Peter Ndegwa explained how traders can qualify for the service.

Three Requirements Traders Must Meet

According to Ndegwa, the first requirement is that a trader must have used Pochi la Biashara for at least six months.

Safaricom says this condition is intended to identify established users who regularly rely on the platform to manage their business payments.

“The first thing they need to have is to have been active on Pochi for six months. So we want real businesspeople who want to be supported by Pochi,” Ndegwa said.

The second requirement is regular use of the service. Traders are expected to carry out transactions on approximately 15 days within a 30-day period.

This means business owners who rarely use their Pochi accounts may not meet the stated activity requirement.

The third condition concerns the amount of credit a trader can access. Safaricom will determine individual borrowing limits based on the level of activity on the platform.

Ndegwa explained that customers who use Pochi regularly will have their credit limits assessed according to their transaction activity.

Meeting these requirements does not mean every trader will automatically receive the same borrowing limit.

How Fuliza ya Pochi Works

Fuliza ya Pochi works in a similar way to the regular Fuliza overdraft facility but focuses on traders using Pochi la Biashara.

When an eligible trader has insufficient funds to complete a transaction, the service can provide an overdraft to cover the shortfall, subject to the customer’s approved limit and applicable terms.

The money borrowed is recovered automatically when new payments enter the trader’s Pochi la Biashara account.

This arrangement could help business owners handle short-term cash shortages without interrupting essential operations.

However, traders should understand the applicable charges, repayment conditions and credit limits before using the facility.

Safaricom Targets Millions of Traders

Ndegwa said Safaricom has approximately 3.3 million Pochi la Biashara customers across Kenya.

He noted that the new service expands the company’s credit offering to small businesses, similar to how regular Fuliza serves individual customers.

Pochi la Biashara enables traders to receive and manage business payments through mobile money.

Fuliza ya Pochi is intended to give eligible traders additional financial flexibility when managing daily expenses.

For business owners interested in the service, the key steps are to maintain an active Pochi account for at least six months, use it regularly and check their eligibility and borrowing limit through Safaricom’s official channels.