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
Kenya Safaricom Shop in downtown Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya
Safaricom shop in downtown Nairobi, Kenya
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: [email protected]

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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

PAST ARTICLES AND INSIGHTS

Related Articles
A section of KRA office. PHOTO/@KRACorporate/X
BUSINESS

KRA to Auto-Link Export Records With VAT Returns From May

Kenya’s exporters will no longer have room to manually declare export values...

Mr. Johnstone Oltetia Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
BUSINESSECONOMYNEWSREAL ESTATESTOCKS

Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company Floats KSh3Bn Green Bond

Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company(KMRC), a state-owned mortgage outfit that offers affordable facilities...

Cash Matters Why Physical Money Still Counts in Africa
SMART MONEY

Cash Matters: Why Physical Money Still Counts in Africa

While the use of cash and the advent of cashless societies continue...

Tala
BUSINESS

Tala Tightens Verification as CBK Pushes New Lending Rules

Digital lender Tala is requiring thousands of customers to re-verify their identities...