Safaricom’s quietly launched Akiba Bundles turn data purchases into ZiiDi investments: Here’s how

A few days ago, I received an SMS from the green telco that immediately caught my eye:

"More data. More savings. Enjoy affordable browsing with Akiba Bundles while growing your ZiiDi savings. Dial *544#, select Data Deals and choose Akiba Bundles."

If you are like me, you probably assumed this was just another routine promo. But after digging into the details, it turns out Safaricom quietly debuted a highly integrated product called Akiba Bundles a couple of months ago. According to the official terms, the service went live at midnight on April 24, 2026, yet it has flown entirely under the radar until this recent text message campaign.

This launch represents a fascinating step in the evolution of M-PESA, moving the platform from a simple payments tool to an embedded wealth-generation ecosystem.

What exactly are Safaricom Akiba Bundles?

Akiba (Swahili for “savings”) Bundles are converged data packages. When you buy one of these specific bundles, you receive your data allocation, and Safaricom automatically deposits a predetermined cashback amount directly into your M-PESA ZiiDi Savings and Investment account.

To be eligible, you must already be opted into ZiiDi (either the standard MMF or ZiiDi Shariah). If you aren’t registered, you’ll need to sign up first. It is a clever behavioral economics play: Safaricom is tying a daily habit—buying data—to a habit most Kenyans struggle with—saving.

The pricing and savings tiers

You can purchase Akiba Bundles via the usual USSD codes (*544#, *334#, *444#, *555#) or the Safaricom My OneApp, although the latter isn’t live yet but will be released in a future update. Here is what you get for your money:

• KES 25: 1.25GB (1-hour validity) + KES 2 ZiiDi credit
• KES 25: 300MB (24-hour validity) + KES 2 ZiiDi credit
• KES 55: 2GB (3-hour validity) + KES 2 ZiiDi credit
• KES 110: 2.25GB (24-hour validity) + KES 5 ZiiDi credit
• KES 300: 2GB (7-day validity) + KES 25 ZiiDi credit
• KES 1,200: 12GB (30-day validity) + KES 100 ZiiDi credit

Whenever you buy a bundle, you get two SMS alerts: one confirming your data, and another confirming your ZiiDi investment.

As with all telco products, the devil is in the details.

First, you cannot buy Akiba Bundles using airtime or Fuliza. Because real cash is being deposited into an MMF, the transaction must be funded strictly from your available M-PESA balance. Secondly, these bundles do not auto-renew, and unused data will not roll over once the validity period expires. If your transaction fails, you get neither the data nor the ZiiDi deposit.

However, I did spot a classic Safaricom contradiction between their official Terms and Conditions and their FAQs. Clauses 9.4 and 9.5 of the T&Cs explicitly state that you cannot share the bundle (data sambaza) and that the bundle “cannot be tethered for use on other devices.” Yet, the official FAQs proudly claim the exact opposite, stating: “Yes. Akiba Bundle data behaves like regular Safaricom data and can be used for tethering or hotspot.” Based on historical telco behaviour, I’d lean toward the T&Cs being legally binding, so tether at your own risk.

Safaricom is aggressively pushing ZiiDi adoption, and weaving it into their core connectivity business is a masterstroke. However, as the platform grows in popularity, users should remain vigilant; we are already seeing fake Safaricom ZiiDi Trader websites popping up to scam unsuspecting investors.

If you are a frequent data buyer who already uses ZiiDi, Akiba Bundles are a no-brainer. It is essentially free money market fund deposits subsidized by your daily internet usage.

Have you tried the new Safaricom Akiba Bundles yet? Let us know in the comments section below.