Safaricom My OneApp Integrates M-PESA and MySafaricom Services with over 80 New Mini Apps

At the Decode Summit in Nairobi, Safaricom announced it is merging the M-PESA app and the MySafaricom app into one single platform called My OneApp. Safaricom wants to be the only app you ever need to open.

For a long time, using Safaricom felt like a split experience. You went to one place to send money and another to check your data or manage your SIM card. By putting everything under one roof, the company is making things much easier for the average user. You can now pay your bills, check your balance, and access all your services from a single screen.

However, this super app,reminds us of WeChat. It's hard to ignore the not so subtle goal to capture the entirety of a user’s digital footprint. When a single platform controls the gateway to both communication and capital, it gains an unprecedented level of insight into consumer habits. This data is the fuel for Safaricom’s next phase of growth, allowing for more targeted services and a tighter grip on the local economy.

There are, of course, practical concerns that come with such massive consolidation. For the average Kenyan user, the primary worry is app performance. Combining two feature-heavy platforms into one can lead to bloat potentially taxing the hardware of entry-level smartphones that remain common in the market. Furthermore, a single point of entry creates a single point of failure. If the unified app experiences downtime or a security vulnerability, the user is effectively locked out of both their phone management and their bank account at once.

Despite these risks, Safaricom is essentially building a walled garden designed to be so convenient that users never feel the need to leave.