Afcacia

Just shortly after releasing four new original shows in Kenya, the African streaming service Showmax has finalized the incorporation of the long awaited M-Pesa into its recently revamped platform. This integration offers customers the convenience of using this popular payment method with ease and speed.

Following the thorough migration of its customers and content onto the globally scaled Peacock platform in February, the Showmax team has remained dedicated to ensuring that customers can effortlessly afford and access the stories they cherish.

Initially, streamers used to seamless payments for online entertainment struggled to pay for the service, and had to dial *375# after paying via M-Pesa to get a voucher code. This code, generated after lengthy trials both on the app and website, is what would be accepted as payment. But now, a single M-Pesa transaction is enough to resume streaming just as fast as with paying for DSTV or GoTV.

Showmax East Africa General Manager, Emma Gichonge told Afcacia the migration onto the Peacock platform wasn’t a refresh but a complete overhaul. “Showmax moved all its customer accounts across sub-Saharan African and all its content onto the new platform. At the same time, we were working to integrate multiple payment methods for many markets onto the platform,” she explained. “Knowing the popularity of the on-platform M-Pesa payment method in Kenya, we moved as fast as possible to bring it online. We’re very pleased that it’s now available.”

Showmax Chief Operating Officer Joe Heshu said the M-Pesa integration has been a key priority for the brand whose goal is to be the No 1 streamer in Africa. “We’ve worked with our long-time partners at Safaricom to ensure that the process of bringing M-Pesa onto the platform was managed, tested, and rolled out to customers as quickly as possible,” he said.

Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom said the major goal is to provide Kenyans freedom, choice and control over the content they consume. “By integrating M-Pesa to Showmax, we are empowering our customers to enjoy their favourite shows with ease and convenience,” he said.

Gichonge said the focus now is on the upcoming content slate. “I’m delighted that customers can now use M-Pesa on the platform to pay for Showmax. Showmax’s future in Kenya is very bright. New content, new products at very competitive prices, and our new #ShikaShowmax campaign are just the start.”