- Safaricom launched Fuliza Ya Pochi in Thika on October 22, extending credit access to qualifying Pochi La Biashara merchants
- The service allows small traders to pay suppliers, send money and settle bills even when their Pochi balance falls short
- Merchants who have been active on Pochi for at least six months can opt in via the Pochi Mini App or by dialling *334#
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Safaricom has extended its overdraft product to Kenya's micro-business sector with the launch of Fuliza Ya Pochi, a credit facility designed specifically for Pochi La Biashara merchants who need short-term liquidity to keep their operations moving.
Source: Twitter
The launch took place in Thika on Thursday, 22 October, with more than one million qualifying merchants now eligible to access the service.
How Fuliza Ya Pochi works
To qualify, a merchant must have maintained an active Pochi La Biashara account for at least six months.
Once eligible, the credit line covers a range of common business transactions, including supplier payments, Buy Goods payments, money transfers and bill settlements, all of which can proceed even when the merchant's Pochi balance is insufficient.
Repayment is structured to minimise disruption: funds are deducted automatically from incoming Pochi payments as the business continues to receive money, removing the need for merchants to initiate separate repayments.
"Opt in via the Pochi Mini App on My OneApp or dial *334#," Safaricom stated on X.
The addition of Fuliza Ya Pochi shifts the focus from consumers to the merchants themselves, placing working capital directly in the hands of small traders who form a significant part of Kenya's informal economy.
The move acknowledges a consistent pressure point for micro-businesses: cash flow gaps that arise when supplier deadlines and incoming payments do not align.
By anchoring credit limits to a merchant's actual transaction history on the Pochi platform, Safaricom ties borrowing directly to demonstrated business activity rather than to traditional credit assessments.
How Fuliza has expanded in recent years
Fuliza Ya Pochi represents the latest phase in the evolution of Safaricom's Fuliza overdraft ecosystem.
The product was first introduced to cover personal M-Pesa transactions, giving individual users the ability to complete payments when their wallets ran dry.
Safaricom later expanded Fuliza to cover Lipa na M-Pesa merchant payments, allowing consumers to transact at businesses even without sufficient funds.
Source: TUKO.co.ke