Safaricom has reported a sharp decline in traditional text messaging, with the average number of SMS sent per customer falling by 22.9 per cent as mobile users increasingly embrace internet-based communication platforms.
The company’s half-year financial results for the six months ended September 30, 2026, show that messages sent per subscriber dropped to 98.94, reflecting changing communication preferences among Kenyans.
The decline was accompanied by an 8.6 per cent reduction in messaging revenue, which stood at KSh5.01 billion during the period.
Despite the slowdown, Safaricom recorded growth in its active messaging customer base, which increased by 8.8 per cent to reach 25.86 million.
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The contrasting figures indicate that although more subscribers continue to use the company’s messaging services, the frequency of traditional SMS usage is declining.
WhatsApp, Telegram challenge traditional SMS
Safaricom attributed the drop in messaging revenue to the increasing adoption of internet-based communication services, also known as over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
In its financial report, the telecommunications firm noted that the migration of customers to internet-based messaging services had continued to affect traditional SMS usage.
“Messaging revenue declined 8.6% YoY to KShs 5.01Bn, driven by the continued migration of customer communications to IP-based and over-the-top (OTT) messaging platforms, a trend observed across the global telecommunications industry,” the company stated.
It added that messages per subscriber had declined by 22.9 per cent year-on-year to 98.94.
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The growing popularity of platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook Messenger has provided mobile users with alternative ways of communicating through text, voice and video calls, as well as multimedia sharing.
Unlike conventional SMS, these services rely on internet connectivity, allowing users to exchange messages using mobile data or Wi-Fi.
More customers, lower SMS revenue
The growth in active messaging customers suggests that Safaricom’s declining messaging revenue is not necessarily linked to a reduction in the number of subscribers using its services.
Instead, the drop in messages per customer points to a change in communication patterns, with subscribers sending fewer conventional text messages.
The trend highlights the growing challenge facing traditional telecommunications messaging services as internet-based applications take a larger share of everyday communication.
For Safaricom, the figures illustrate how changing consumer behaviour is reshaping demand for conventional mobile services, even as its messaging customer base continues to expand.
The shift also underscores the increasing importance of internet connectivity in Kenya’s telecommunications sector, where digital platforms are changing how millions of people communicate.
