Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo smartphone plan is a program by the telco that offers customers 4G powered smartphones they can pay for in installments. This program was introduced in July 2020 and requires interested buyers to pay an initial deposit of at least Ksh 500. The remaining amount can be paid in installments of between Ksh 50 and Ksh 100 per day or Ksh 350 and Ksh 700 per week.
We have known that Safaricom has been working on this product and now is when we get to see what it is all about. The company has partnered with Google in this and its main aim is to avail 4G devices to the masses.
The company is targeting 1 million new customers who it hopes to shift from 2G to 4G. With this plan, Safaricom is mainly targeting 2G users as these are perfect ones to transition to faster 4G speeds. And of course, the more people using 4G, the more money Safaricom makes from data.
How to Go About it
Now that we have the introduction out of the way, let us look at how you can get started with Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo. The process is straightforward, and you can initiate it right away using your phone. Below are the steps to follow.
- Check if you qualify by dialing *544# and select option 8 and accept the terms of service.
- You will be notified if you qualify for the service or not.
- You will then have to dial *544*5# to see the phones you can buy.
- Once done, you will visit a Safaricom retail shop for them to confirm you purchased the phone and pick it.
- You will only pick the phone after paying the deposit.
- The staff at the shop will help you setup the phone and even show the user how to make payments.
- Payment is at least Ksh 50 everyday but users can choose weekly payment options or any amount they are comfortable with.
- If you happen to miss a day, no worries about that as you do have a 3-day window to do so before the device is locked. .
- Throughout the repayment period, you will get free data and minutes depending on the phone you buy. This is in addition to the 1 GB free data valid for 30 days that you get on the first day.
Read: Top 5 Smartphones Under Ksh 20,000 in Kenya in 2023
Phones available on Safaricom Lipa Mdogo Mdogo in September 2023
There are just a handful of smartphones on the Safaricom Lipa mdogo mdogo program. Safaricom plans to expand that list in the future but as of August 2023, these are the phones you can get:
| Device | Daily Repayment | Weekly Repayment | Daily Resources |
| Neon Smarta (Kshs. 11,400) | Kshs. 50 | Kshs. 350 | 100 MB + 5minutes |
| Neon Ray Ultra (Kshs. 14,800) | Kshs. 50 | Kshs. 350 | 120 MB + 5minutes |
| Itel A24 2023 (Kshs. 14,200) | Kshs. 50 | Kshs. 350 | 100 MB + 5minutes |
| Itel A60 (Kshs. 18,300) | Kshs. 100 | Kshs. 700 | 120 MB + 5minutes |
| Tecno Pop 7 (Ksh. 22,700) | Kshs. 100 | Kshs. 700 | 200 MB + 5minutes |
| Nokia C31 (Ksh. 31,400) | Kshs. 100 | Kshs. 700 | 200 MB + 5minutes |
Also, the phones under this program are all over Ksh 10,000.
How do I know if I qualify for a Safaricom lipa mdogo mdogo phone?
To know if you qualify for lipa mdogo mdogo phone, Dial *544# or *544*5# and check eligibility. If you do not qualify, you will get an SMS notification of the same informing you on how you can be eligible.
To qualify, your account should not be blacklisted by any credit reference bureau (CRB), Okoa Jahazi and Okoa data or locked due to fraud. You also need to be between 18 and 75 years old and have had the your number for over a year.
How can I get Lipa mdogo mdogo phone?
To get a lipa mdogo mdogo phones, you will need to be eligible by dialling *544#. Once you are eligible, you can go to any Safaricom shop or participating dealer and present the voucher reference number for handset deposit. You will also need to present your ID card for identification.
The Deposit you pay on a Lipa Mdogo Mdogo varies depending on the phone you buy. Here is the breakdown. Pay the deposit via M-Pesa.
| DEVICE | DEPOSIT |
| Neon Smarta (Kshs. 11,400) | Kshs. 500 |
| Neon Ray Ultra (Kshs. 14,800) | Kshs. 1,500 |
| Itel A24 2023 (Kshs. 14,200) | Kshs. 500 |
| Itel A60 (Kshs. 18,300) | Kshs. 2,000 |
| Tecno Pop 7 (Ksh. 22,700) | Kshs. 3,000 |
| Nokia C31 (Ksh. 31,400) | Kshs. 5,000 |
How do make the repayments?
You can make your lipa mdogo mdogo payments dialing *544# or *544*5# and choose Daily, weekly, Monthly or part payment.
Payment less than the daily repayment amount will be allocated to the device loan amount and no bundle will be allocated. Safaricom will communicate the loan balances through SMS with daily reminders as follows: 8:00am, 12:00 noon and 5:00pm.
Does Jumia have Lipa Mdogo mdogo phones?
No, the lipa mdogo mdogo program is run by Safaricom so Jumia is not part of it. You can get the phones on Jumia but you will have to pay full amount at the time of purchase.
Also Read: Safaricom Adds two Smartphones to Lipa Mdogo Mdogo Plan with Payments Starting at Ksh 50 Per Day