BUSINESSSMART MONEY

Safaricom Money Market Fund Ziidi Takes Market By Surprise

The investment product is being offered in partnership with three other fund managers

Share
Safaricom Money Market Fund Ziidi Fund
Ziidi will be accessible through the MPESA-platform similar to the other Safaricom-backed unit trusts. (Photo: bloomberg)
Share

Safaricom PLC has ventured into the money market business, as it continues to diversify its products away from telecommunication services. Safaricom Money Market fund subsidiary, Ziidi, has received a license from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA).

CMA has licensed Ziidi MMF as a Collective Investment Scheme (CIS), catching most investors off-guard. It will be accessible through the MPESA-platform similar to the other Safaricom-backed Unit Trust Mali managed by Genghis Capital.

The investment product is being offered in partnership by Safaricom with Standard Investment Bank, ALA Capital Limited, and Sanlam Investments East Africa Limited.

> Why Investors Are Pouring Money Into Money Market Funds

Mr Wycliffe Shamiah, CMA’s CEO, said in a statement the new development underscores the capital markets regulator’s commitment to foster innovation which also enables Safaricom enhance its footprint in the finance services sector.

A money market fund is a mutual fund that invests in cash and low-risk, short-term debt securities. The fund manager allocates pooled funds from investors to different asset classes. Money market funds were originally introduced in the 1970s to offer more competitive rates than the banks whose rates are mainly tied to the Central bank rates.

Money Market Funds, or MMFs, remain the most popular investment vehicle in Kenya, accounting for Ksh171.2 billion, or 67.4% of all Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), under management for the year ended June 2024. The other funds take up the remaining 32.6% share – Fixed Income Fund (52.1 billion), Equity Fund (2.6 billion), Balanced Fund (1.4 billion), Other Funds (26.8 billion).

> Top Money Market Funds in Kenya: A Review of ABSA Money Market Fund

Written by
KALU MENGO -

Kalu Mengo is a Senior Reporter With Business Today. Email: editor@businesstoday.co.ke

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Articles
H Stars
SPORTS

The Cradle of Stars: Why Baba Dogo Grounds Matter

In the middle of Baba Dogo sits a field that, at first...

Close Up Photo of Steel Tap Faucet
NEWS

Marsabit Gets Lifeline as Airtel Money and Red Cross Deliver Clean Water

More than 2,400 households in Northern Kenya are celebrating improved access to...

Julius Ogamba
NEWS

Kenya to Establish National Academy for Creative and Performing Arts

Kenya could soon have its first national academy for creative and performing...

Fans cheering Harambee Stars during CHAN 2024 match vs Morocco
SPORTS

Tickets Sell Out in Minutes as Kenya Prepares for CHAN 2024 Quarterfinal Showdown with Madagascar

Tickets for Kenya’s eagerly awaited CHAN 2024 quarterfinal against Madagascar were snapped...