Tag: Airtel news

Flexible Airtel serves a clear knock-out to rigid Safaricom in the competitive tariff war!

Posted on by Kibaki Muthamia

Airtel has released a new voice and data tariff that should have you scrambling to join up, if you’re still in the cold. An elementary comparison between the tariffs offered by Airtel against those of their closest competitor Safaricom, will leave you slapping your own forehead in disbelief. It begs some self-examination:

Why on earth are we NOT on the Airtel network?

First, some vital basics. You are sure of actually getting everything you pay for on Airtel, unlike Safaricom. A rock-solid reputation of honesty. If you purchase 100mb, you deserve to actually get 100mbs. An average Kenyan is on the receiving end of human and corporate scams, it’s a refreshing thought to know you can #BeSureNaAirtel.

Let’s see who has a bigger heart:

  1. Voice Call Rate

Safaricom – 4 bob per minute, including taxes.

Airtel – 2 bob per minute, including taxes.

No prizes here for guessing which network is a better choice for your already-tight budget.

  1. Data Browsing

Airtel has a flat rate of 1 bob for 5mbs – irrespective of amount a subscriber spends.

Safaricom – less than 10 bob gives you 2mbs at 1 bob

10 – 50 bob gives you 3.5mbs at 1 bob (They even sell half MBs, how odd is that?)

50 bob plus – gives you 5mbs at 1 bob

The low-end user on Safaricom network with limited purchasing ability beyond 50 bob bears the                     brunt on Safaricom network.  Again, Airtel wins on this level as being friendly to a subscriber on the far end of the economic food chain.

  1. Subscription Procedures

Airtel – No need to purchase a bundle. Once you load airtime, just dial *544*2#.

Safaricom – Needs to manually subscribe for a Voice or Data bundle every time airtime is loaded.

One of the best features with the Airtel tariff is that it doesn’t expire. It’s a lifetime offer. For people with a busy lifestyle, it’s both convenient and time saving. Just load airtime and start your business – call or browse direct from your airtime. No hidden charges or conditions whatsoever.

Safaricom network, however, is still as rigid and conditional as ever. Each time one loads airtime, one has to pause and figure out which of the tariffs to subscribe. It’s bothersome and time-consuming to keep subscribing. In frequent cases some users are not conversant with the endless procedures, or forget in the thick of business, they end up spending more credit than they planned for.

It’s not hyperbole. On all fronts, Airtel is the network that’s user-friendly and in touch with the woes of an average Kenyan contending with the end effects of a slow economy.

It’s time you get smarter. This tariff rate on Airtel is available for new and existing users.

Get an Airtel line (if you are still not using Airtel) and enjoy the best rates. There’s no conditions. No complicated bundle purchase procedures – just browse directly or call from your credit/airtime. This tariff is applicable for Lifetime, No Expiry!

Just Dial *544*2#.

It doesn’t have to cost an arm to follow threads, view and share memes, video-chat with distant friends. Airtel has you covered.

#BeSureNaAirtel

Airtel launches Kenya’s best, no expiry rates for data and voice

Posted on by Kibaki Muthamia

Driven by the goal to offer more value to its customers, Airtel Kenya today launched no expiry data and call rates that will allow customers to spend as low as 1 bob for 5MB data and to make calls at 2bob across all networks. This move demonstrates Airtel’s commitment to offer quality products and services whilst firmly establishing its position in the market as the company that offers great value for money.

At the same time, the company also revamped its entire Amazing data bundle offerings to give more data for the same cost as before e.g. 3GB for Kshs300 up from 1.5GB, 5GB for Kshs 500 up from 4GB and 12GB for Kshs 1000 up from 10GB with 30 days validity. The new offerings are targeted towards customers who are looking to meet their communication needs with ease and not worry about any hidden costs or conditions. To activate the new rates, customers need to dial *544*2#.

The new products campaign dubbed ‘BeSureNaAirtel’ is pegged on showing customers the exact rates and value they get for their investment. The new offers have no hidden charges or conditions for use, thus customers are assured of getting what they pay for at the most competitive rates.

Speaking at the launch event, Airtel’s Managing Director, Prasanta Das Sarma said, “We are pleased to introduce the industry’s best no expiry rates for data and voice to all our customers. We have also revamped our Amazing data bundles to cater for our heavy data users, by offering up to 100% more data. These new offerings are based on emerging consumer insights and trends that show a substantial increase in data usage for both social and business needs as well as the need for customers to not worry about the cost of data while browsing.”

He expressed his confidence that the new rates and revamped bundles will meet all the communication needs of Airtel’s customers even with as low airtime balance as Kshs 1.

Airtel continues to invest in the business to bring more innovative products and services and enhance its network coverage.

Co-operative Bank opens festive season for their clients by scrapping charges on bank balance inquiry

Posted on by Kibaki Muthamia

It’s the little things in life that make a difference.

It’s a very fragile axis that a good day swings on. The little things around us.  A baby’s toothless smile on the matatu’s ride to work. A random complement on a new hairstyle by a good-natured colleague at work. A cheery emoji on a social media post. A particularly funny meme that reminds you of some old, cranky relative. It’s simple, really.

On the other hand, a bad day doesn’t need much coaxing to turn up. Your landlord may wake up on the wrong side of bed and decide an impromptu rent hike. The long-suffering Japanese jalopy decides to give up the ghost without warning – you got to work late. The boss doesn’t understand how that relates to punctuality at work.

Co-operative Bank, however, understands the challenges her clients meet on a daily basis, and continuously strives to improve and sanitize packages to give a better, home-based banking experience.

Do you know Co-Operative Bank no longer charges a dime to check your bank balance?

This is particularly welcome news to a large cadre of business owners who take payment for goods and service through their Co-op Bank accounts. No matter how many times they have to check their balance for proof of payments, it’s all free.

Any news that softens the grip on the budget line is good news. Any coin saved readily plugs some hole in the budget. Towards the rent, and ultimately to more savings – perhaps, in a few years, you can save up and get your own digs. Best case scenario, you can be a landlord, too. And, certainly a better one.

It’s a welcome, progressive step towards a hassle-free banking experience.

How To Not Seem Dumb When You Return to Kenya !

Posted on by Kibaki Muthamia

The first time I flew back into the country, I had spent 8 years away swatting at leather-bound journals, for a law degree. No one in the family came to my graduation party – none could afford the air ticket and visa fees to the US. But my family outdid themselves at the airport. I met a busload of excited relatives in various levels of sobriety dancing and waving fly whisks at the airport.

It’s understandable – my law degree was the first one in the family.

We then embarked on slow bus ride for several hours to our rural home. I remember most of that bus ride was spent getting the updates, and it was a lot to cover. I was 8 years behind. It was hard to stomach everything thrown at me, and my cousins are not averse to hyperbole.

I got internship and a job in the US soon after, and since then, am usually away for spells lasting two, perhaps, three years. My relatives soon tired of the airport fanfare, and nowadays, I do not even call to alert them of my imminent arrival.

And, I usually hardly need their exaggerated updates on what’s happening in the country. Plus, their scope is a little limited to the affairs in the village – whose daughter has married off whose son, et al.

Airtel Kenya has got me covered.

Immediately I clear customs, I switch on my Airtel lines, and dial *544# for the latest data offers.

It sure feels nice to be home, with Airtel Kenya data packages. I have a lot to catch up on the long bus ride home – without drunken singing in the background.

Airtel Kenya has the UNLIMINET bundle. For just Ksh.500, I get an excess of 2.5GB + 150 Mins + 1000 SMS valid for a Month.

But I have nephews and nieces who love YouTube, so I usually get the Ksh.1000 package – an unbelievable 8GB + 400 Mins + 2000 SMS valid for a Month.

Once am online with Airtel data package, I usually sample the trending local hits. I realize the Odi Dance is slowly turning into a global revolution. There’s various hits – Na Iwake Remix, Wamlambez (a little hard to wrap my head around), the perennially awesome Moipei Sisters are still at it.

In my free time, I like to moonlight as an amateur chef, mostly through local cuisine. How else to treat your relatives than by making them their everyday dishes in a spanking new way? I log into cooking blogs, and there’s a whole lot of new ones – PikaChakula, Kaluhi’s Kitchen, Ordinary Kitchen among others.

Prepare your palates, family. Master Chef has landed.

I like to travel when I visit Kenya – I need to keep my bragging rights back in the diaspora. I skim all the latest travel news. I learn of the popular Sky Diving feature at Diani Beach, South Coast.

Not that I intend to try that. My mother would remind me to get married first. Thou shall not risk my future grandkids. So I skim news about The Serengeti, The Mara and the annual wildebeest migration. I certainly wouldn’t mind a road trip.

Thanks to Airtel, by the time I hit the rural, I am up to date. Perhaps, much more than the average resident.

Take advantage of Airtel affordable data, dial *544# and get going.

 

Christmas comes early for Kenyans as Airtel drops calling rate to just 1 bob a minute to all networks – the lowest in the industry

Posted on by Martin Oduor

Energy regulator ERC recently cut fuel prices, and now Airtel has dropped calling rate to just 1 bob a minute… Surely Kenyans have all the reasons to smile this festive season.

Airtel has launched a new voice campaign which will see Kenyans enjoy making calls at the lowest industry rate of 1 bob to ALL other networks and FREE Airtel to Airtel calls in order to keep the conversations going with friends and family.

The campaign dubbed ‘ChapaStori’ will allow Airtel customers to make calls to any network at 1 bob/min for 24 hours while enjoying free on-net calls all day.

This attractive new offer comes in two main bundles; Kes 15 bundle valid for 24 hours and Kes 30 bundle that offers customers the same benefits with a validity of 3 days. All ChapaStori bundles come with free 100 minutes for all Airtel to Airtel calls per day.

The campaign will run until end of January 2019. Customers can buy these bundles by simply dialing *544*15# or *544*30#.

Increased market share

More and more Kenyans are moving to Airtel according to data from Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK). Sector statistics from CAK for the period between April and June 2018 showed that Airtel’s subscribers rose from 8.7 million to 9.7 million to secure a market share of 21.4%.

And between June and September 2018, Airtel’s subscriber numbers rose from 9.7 million to 10.4 million. The continued increase in subscribes is attributed to Airtel strategy of offering the best in terms of data bundle and call rate.

The ChapaStori offer along with other products and services such as the Amazing Data bundles with free WhatsApp and the SMS product dubbed ‘Tutext’, continue to offer Airtel customers the most preferred options for voice, data and text messages.

Talking of data, Airtel data package is also the cheapest in Kenya. For instance with Airtel Amazing Data (*544#) you get 2GB plus free WhatsApp for the whole day for only Kes 99 bob.

Other daily data packages include; 40MB for Kes 10 bob, 100MB for Kes 20 bob, 400MB for Kes 50 bob, 250MB night data for Kes 20 bob. Remember once you subscribe to these data packages you get free WhatsApp by default.

 

 

 

Airtel does something amazing in support of community wildlife conservation around Tsavo West National Park

Posted on by Martin Oduor

Airtel has invested heavily in community wildlife conservation project in Tsavo. The telecommunications services provider donated two water tanks to two schools located around the Tsavo West National Park in Mtito Andei.

This was in support of Project Ngulia’s Community Conservation Awareness project that seeks to involve the local community that resides around the Park in conservation awareness to reduce and completely eradicate poaching and illegal activities in the Park.

The Airtel team presented the tanks to the schools’ administration during the handing over ceremony held at the two schools namely Matangini and Matulani Primary schools. The tanks are set to address the issue of lack of a sustainable water source and reliable water harvesting resources which have resulted in increased human wildlife conflict.

From left, Dorcas Gathura and Angela Kabari of Project Ngulia who are running the Community Conservation Awareness project in partnership with Airtel and KWS.
From left, Dorcas Gathura and Angela Kabari of Project Ngulia who are running the Community Conservation Awareness project in partnership with Airtel and KWS.

Airtel’s Managing Director Prasanta Das Sarma expressed commitment to support communities that the company engages with.

“Airtel is cognizant of the great need faced by the communities around the park, due to the scarcity of water and we are delighted to be able to donate these water tanks as they will help in harvesting and storage of water thereby ensuring that you have a reliable source of water. Airtel remains committed to helping the communities that we engage with and we commend the Project Ngulia team for this noble initiative that will greatly impact the lives of the people in this area,” said Airtel managing director.

Technological support

In 2014, Airtel partnered with Project Ngulia to offer technological support by providing internet connectivity within the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary which allows for smooth working of the smartphone based command, control and communications (C3) system that digitizes the workflow of the rangers in Ngulia.

Later in 2015, Airtel, in conjunction with Nokia, significantly upgraded the nearest base station, which increased connectivity within the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary to up to 90% coverage.

Project Ngulia is a public-private partnership that develops innovative cost-efficient technology-based solutions, such as mobile apps and web dashboards, to assist Park management and rangers to monitor rhinos and combat poaching.

A pupil at Matangini Primary School enjoys the free flowing water from the water tank donated to the school by Airtel.
A pupil at Matangini Primary School enjoys the free flowing water from the water tank donated to the school by Airtel.

Project Ngulia’s main partners at present are the Kolmården Wildlife Park, Linköping University in Sweden, and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Kenya.

“Project Ngulia is delighted to be able to extend our partnership with Airtel Kenya to community engagement activities. Educating and supporting the people that live close to wildlife is of great importance in conservation efforts and so we look forward to continue working with Matangini and Matulani Primary schools to carry out conservation education in the Mtito Andei area. In conjunction with KWS, we aim to continue our community conservation activities that we began with the Kifaru Fun Days held at the schools in July this year, and together do even more to raise awareness of the importance of saving the black rhino from extinction,” Angela Kabari, Project Ngulia’s Kenya Manager reiterated Airtel’s sentiments.

Speaking during the presentation of the tanks, the head teachers expressed their joy as they received the tanks.

Airtel’s Marion Wambua takes a selfie with the pupils at St. Michael Matulani Primary School.
Airtel’s Marion Wambua takes a selfie with the pupils at St. Michael Matulani Primary School.

“The tank is more than silver and gold. It assures us – pupils, teachers and parents of safe drinking water. Good health is key in good performance, thanks to Airtel,” said Mr Yambu, headteacher Matangini Primary School.

Mr Japheth Kyangu, the Matulani Primary School headteacher echoed Mr Yambu’s statement;

“The tank that Airtel has given us will help us conserve harvested rain water for future use. We will use this water for drinking, learning and maintenance of cleanliness in the classrooms, offices, kitchen and latrine. The water will also be used in our farming activities which include poultry, rabbit keeping, maintenance of a tree nursery and the greenhouse.”

Airtel’s Senior Communication and CSR Executive, Marion Wambua with pupils and the head teacher of St. Michael Matulani Primary, Mr. Japheth Kyangu during the donation of the water at the school in Mtito Andei.
Airtel’s Senior Communication and CSR Executive, Marion Wambua with pupils and the head teacher of St. Michael Matulani Primary, Mr. Japheth Kyangu during the donation of the water at the school in Mtito Andei.

Airtel launches new range of exciting data bundles including 1GB data for only 99 Bob

Posted on by Martin Oduor

Airtel Kenya has launched a new range of exciting data bundles dubbed ‘New Amazing Bundles’.  This new offer is targeting all range of smartphone users who are constantly looking for affordable data bundles.

The New Amazing Bundles was launched with an aim of offering best value products to Airtel’s customers in the era of growing demand for data services

Airtel’s new affordable data bundles will ensure smartphone users stay connected to the internet at all times thereby enhancing penetration and usage.

The new data bundles by Airtel is the most affordable in the market with 1GB going for only 99 bob. Customers can subscribe to the New 1GB Bundle by simply dialing *544*1# and choosing their preferred bundle.

2GB for 249 bob only

Airtel also has other exciting data propositions under the New Amazing Bundles that offer daily, weekly, monthly and 90days packages that are tailored to individual consumer needs.

The winning propositions under these new bundles are the 1GB bundle daily offer going for Kes 99, 2GB weekly bundle that costs Kes 249 and 1GB monthly bundle for Kes 300. Subscribers can buy multiple bundles.

Airtel has been a champion in leading the market by offering consumers great value for money products and services since its launch in Kenya, having led with the Vuka tariff that reduced the cost of calls in Kenya by over 605 in 2008.

The telecommunications provider has also offered great value with other quality products and services such as the Airtel UnlimiNet data product, Tubonge voice product and free P2P money transfer on its Airtel Money platform.

 

 

 

 

1GB for 99 bob! Airtel becomes the darling of Kenyans thanks to new amazing bundles offer

Posted on by Martin Oduor

Airtel has unveiled new irresistible and much affordable data bundles. The new amazing bundles offer will see Kenyans spend less for more bundles.

Airtel customers are set to save much more using the new data bundles. Airtel rolled out ‘Smartika na 1GB’ with the aim of offering its customers uninterrupted data at affordable rates.

2GB weekly bundle for Kes 249

The new bundles include a 1GB bundle daily offer going for Kes 99. 2GB weekly bundle costs Kes 249 and 1GB monthly bundle for Kes 300.

Customers can subscribe to the 1GB bundle on their smartphones by dialing *544*1#. This bundle is valid for 24 hours.

The new offer by Airtel is the cheapest and most consumer friendly in the market. Other telecommunication providers offer the same amount of data at a much expensive price.