Kestrel Capital (East Africa) Ltd, in conjunction with Safaricom PLC, has been recognised by Global Banking & Finance Review with the Excellence in Innovation - Mobile Trading Platform (ZiiDi Trader) Kenya 2026 award, acknowledging the development of a mobile-first investment platform designed to widen access to Kenya’s capital markets.
The award is:
Excellence in Innovation - Mobile Trading Platform (ZiiDi Trader) Kenya 2026
ZiiDi Trader was launched in February 2026 through a collaboration involving Safaricom, Kestrel Capital and the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Integrated within the MPESA ecosystem, the platform enables eligible users to buy and sell shares listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange directly from their mobile phones.
The initiative brings together Safaricom’s mobile-money infrastructure and customer reach with Kestrel Capital’s heritage and capital-markets expertise. Kestrel Capital acts as the broker supporting trades executed through the platform, while users access the service through the M-PESA app.
Commenting on the award, Barnai Pal Sinha, Editor of Global Banking & Finance Review, said: “ZiiDi Trader represents an important development in the evolution of retail participation in Kenya’s capital markets. By integrating share trading into an established mobile financial ecosystem, the platform has reduced some of the traditional friction associated with accessing listed investments. The collaboration between Kestrel Capital and Safaricom demonstrates how capital-markets expertise and digital infrastructure can work together to broaden access, simplify the investor journey and support greater participation in formal financial markets. The Excellence in Innovation - Mobile Trading Platform (ZiiDi Trader) Kenya 2026 award recognises both the technology behind the platform and the collaborative model that has enabled it to reach investors through a familiar digital channel. We congratulate Kestrel Capital, Safaricom and the teams involved in developing ZiiDi Trader.”
Excellence in Innovation - Mobile Trading Platform (ZiiDi Trader) Kenya 2026
The award recognises the role of ZiiDi Trader in creating a more accessible route into Kenya’s listed capital market.
Traditionally, retail participation in capital markets has involved several distinct stages, including brokerage onboarding, account administration, identity verification, funding and order placement. ZiiDi Trader brings a number of these steps together within the MPESA environment.
Users access the platform through the M-PESA app’s financial-services section, where they can easily opt-in, view listed shares, monitor market information and place buy or sell orders. Business Daily reported at launch that the service allows retail investors to transact in Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed shares through the mobile-money platform.
The model is supported by Kestrel Capital’s role as the brokerage partner. Rather than requiring each investor to interact separately with a conventional brokerage process, the platform uses an omnibus structure through which Kestrel facilitates the underlying market transactions.
This combination of mobile technology and regulated market infrastructure is central to the innovation recognised by the award.
Bringing Capital Markets Into a Familiar Digital Environment
One of ZiiDi Trader’s defining characteristics is its integration with M-PESA.
Kenya has developed one of the world’s most established mobile-money ecosystems, and the ability to place listed-equity investment alongside existing digital financial services creates a different entry point for retail investors.
Rather than asking customers to begin their investment journey through a separate financial platform, ZiiDi Trader places market access within an application that millions of users already associate with payments and other financial services.
Safaricom said at launch that the platform was intended to expand access to capital markets by enabling Kenyans to buy and sell NSE-listed shares directly through the MPESA app. The service operates within Kenya’s capital-markets framework and under the oversight applicable to securities-market activities. (PublicNow)
This approach has the potential to reduce operational barriers while preserving the regulated infrastructure required for securities trading.
Kestrel Capital’s Role in Market Execution
Kestrel Capital brings more than three decades of experience in Kenya’s capital markets to the partnership.
Founded in 1994, the company is licensed by Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority and has been a member of the Nairobi Securities Exchange since 1995. Its activities include sales and trading, research, corporate advisory and private placements.
Within ZiiDi Trader, Kestrel provides the brokerage infrastructure supporting equity transactions generated through the mobile platform.
The arrangement highlights how an established capital-markets intermediary can participate in a new distribution model without separating digital innovation from regulated market execution.
As investor interfaces evolve, brokerage infrastructure remains essential to functions including trade execution, settlement, market access and compliance. ZiiDi Trader therefore represents not simply a new consumer interface, but an integration between mobile technology and the existing securities-market ecosystem.
Expanding Retail Market Participation
The early development of ZiiDi Trader has also drawn attention because of its contribution to retail trading activity.
Independent reporting following the launch indicated that the service quickly accounted for a significant share of retail orders on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. Business Daily reported that Safaricom had selected Kestrel Capital to process transactions executed through the platform, while subsequent market coverage highlighted the platform’s contribution to higher retail participation.
The significance extends beyond transaction volumes.
Enabling retail participation has been shown to broaden the investor base of a capital market, introduce more individuals to listed securities and create additional channels through which domestic savings can potentially connect with investment opportunities.
At the same time, greater accessibility does not remove investment risk. Share prices can rise or fall, and investors still need to understand the characteristics and risks of securities before committing capital.
Technology can simplify access, but informed participation remains an important part of sustainable capital-market development.
Innovation Through Collaboration
ZiiDi Trader also demonstrates the role that collaboration can play in financial innovation.
The platform brings together organisations with distinct capabilities: Safaricom provides the digital ecosystem and M-PESA infrastructure; Kestrel Capital provides brokerage and capital-markets expertise; and the Nairobi Securities Exchange provides the marketplace through which listed shares are traded.
Each part addresses a different component of the investment journey.
The result is a platform that connects mobile-money users directly with established capital-market infrastructure while maintaining the roles of regulated market participants.
This model may become increasingly relevant as financial institutions look for ways to embed investment services within digital platforms already used by consumers for everyday financial activity.
Mobile Technology and the Future of Investing
The development of ZiiDi Trader reflects a broader shift within financial services.
Digital banking and mobile payments have already changed how customers interact with financial institutions. Investment services are increasingly following the same direction, with onboarding, portfolio monitoring, payments and trading becoming more integrated into digital ecosystems.
Kenya provides a particularly relevant environment for this development because of the widespread adoption of mobile financial services.
By connecting securities trading with M-PESA, the ZiiDi Trader model extends mobile finance beyond payments and transfers into direct participation in listed capital markets.
The Excellence in Innovation - Mobile Trading Platform (ZiiDi Trader) Kenya 2026 award recognises this evolution and the role played by Kestrel Capital and Safaricom in combining established financial-market infrastructure with a mobile-first investor experience.
Supporting the Evolution of Kenya’s Capital Markets
For Kestrel Capital, the collaboration represents an extension of its longstanding role within Kenya’s securities market.
The company’s history spans institutional brokerage, research and capital-markets advisory, while ZiiDi Trader introduces a distribution model focused on broader retail participation. Kestrel states that it has operated in Kenya’s capital markets since 1994 and has been an NSE member since 1995.
The platform therefore connects established market expertise with a new way of reaching investors.
For Safaricom, ZiiDi Trader expands the range of financial activities available through the M-PESA ecosystem.
Together, the organisations have helped create a platform that makes the process of entering Kenya’s equity market more closely resemble the digital experiences consumers already encounter in other areas of financial services.
As Kenya’s capital markets continue to develop, platforms such as ZiiDi Trader illustrate how mobile technology can support wider market participation while working alongside established regulatory and market infrastructure.
The Excellence in Innovation - Mobile Trading Platform (ZiiDi Trader) Kenya 2026
award recognises that contribution and the collaboration behind it.
About Kestrel Capital (East Africa) Ltd
Kestrel Capital (East Africa) Ltd is a Kenyan capital-markets firm founded in 1994.
The company is licensed by Kenya’s Capital Markets Authority and has been a member of the Nairobi Securities Exchange since 1995. Its activities include institutional sales and trading, investment research, corporate advisory and private placements. ()
Kestrel Capital provides brokerage and market-execution capabilities within the ZiiDi Trader platform, supporting access to listed securities through the mobile trading service.
About Safaricom PLC
Safaricom PLC is a Kenyan telecommunications and financial-services technology company and the operator of M-PESA.
Through M-PESA and its broader digital ecosystem, Safaricom provides mobile financial services to consumers and businesses. In February 2026, Safaricom launched ZiiDi Trader in collaboration with Kestrel Capital and the Nairobi Securities Exchange, enabling eligible investors to access NSE-listed shares through the M-PESA app.
About Global Banking & Finance Review Awards
The Global Banking & Finance Review Awards programme was established to recognise excellence, innovation and outstanding achievement across the global financial-services industry.
Each year, the awards recognise institutions demonstrating leadership across banking, investment, fintech, wealth management, digital transformation, customer experience and other areas of financial services. Award recipients are selected through an evaluation process considering qualitative and quantitative factors including innovation, business performance, customer focus, industry reputation and contributions to the continued development of financial services.
About Global Banking & Finance Review
Global Banking & Finance Review is an international financial publication providing coverage of banking, finance, insurance, wealth management, capital markets, fintech and global business.
Through its digital platform and international readership, the publication delivers financial news, analysis and thought leadership to financial professionals, institutional investors, business leaders and policymakers worldwide. Its annual awards programme recognises organisations demonstrating excellence, innovation and leadership while contributing to the continued advancement of the global financial-services industry.