Airtel Africa plc employees based in Nairobi contribute towards Government’s COVID-19 Initiatives

Nairobi-based employees of Airtel Africa plc have come together and contributed a donation of 12.7 million shillings to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund, in support of the Government’s initiatives.  The donation is comprised of voluntary employee contributions, which were matched by a corporate donation from Airtel Africa plc.

This is over and above various initiatives, some indicated below, that the organization has put in place to cushion the impact of the pandemic since the announcement of the Coronavirus pandemic in Kenya. Airtel has made it a priority to mitigate the impact of the virus by helping its customer’s access services, keep the communities going and ensuring that all the employees remain safe. Nairobi is the headquarters for Airtel Africa plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Airtel Africa plc is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with operations in 14 countries across Africa and over 110 million customers.

The donation is comprised of voluntary employee contributions, which were matched by Airtel Africa plc. This employee-led voluntary donation is in addition to corporate-level donations of over $2.6 million, committed towards protective equipment for health workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic across Africa. Today’s employee-led hand over was made to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund Chairperson, Ms. Jane Karuku.

Raghunath Mandava, CEO, Airtel Africa:                                             

Airtel and each of its employees are committed to supporting the government in the fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Along with following all the safety measures and instructions provided by the Government, we believe we should lend our support in every possible way. Airtel Africa has provided various free services in the countries it operates in and also made donations, in cash and in kind, across the 14 countries within its operations.

At a personal level, the employees have taken a voluntary deduction of salaries over the next few months that will be matched by the Company and donated towards this fight in each country. Each and every member of our team in Nairobi reiterates their individual support for the Kenya COVID-19 response through this collective contribution.

 

Ms. Jane Karuku, COVID-19 Emergency Fund Chairperson:        

This is an important partnership with Airtel Africa plc in Kenya and demonstrates a real commitment to further support us, whilst we all work each day to defeat this pandemic. Private sector interventions can mitigate the social and economic impacts of the Coronavirus, stimulate economic recovery and create resilience to future outbreaks.

Airtel has already taken several steps to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, including …

  • Free access to Educational sites: Responded positively to the government’s directive to suspend learning in all educational institutions all over the country by partnering with Longhorn Publishers to offer free internet access to students accessing the Longhorn e-learning Platform.
  • Airtel Money Charges: Following consultations with key government agencies, Airtel removed all transaction fees making it possible for Kenyans to send and receive money for free on the Airtel Money platform. Airtel also revised the transaction limits for mobile money transaction to boost and support the SME and micro business enterprises.
  • Customer Communication: Airtel have been running a digital awareness campaign on their social media platforms to share information and prevention tips for COVID-19.

 

Airtel now shifts all her customers to a simple, no subscription, no Expiry 1 bob per 5mb data rate.

Airtel Kenya has revolutionized the data market by allowing all its customers to enjoy the best data rate of Sh.1 bob for 5MB as the default data tariff for its prepaid customers.  The rate translates to 20 cents per MB of data.

The company has also rolled out a new advertising campaign dubbed “SwitchToAirtel” to drive awareness and urge customers to move from competition and take advantage of the out of bundle data rates that have no conditions and no expiry dates.

The new rate that emphasizes the ease of access to data services is set to cement Airtel’s position as the most customer friendly operator, offering the best rates on its fast and modern 4G network across the country.

In addition to the best data rates, customers can also enjoy the best voice rates in Kenya of 2/- bob per minute by simply dialing *544*2#.

Airtel continues to guarantee its customers the best value for money by meeting their communication needs through simple and transparent charges; without any hidden costs, subscriptions or worries about the rates they pay.

In a statement, Airtel’s Managing Director, Prasanta Das Sarma said, “Airtel understands that customers are wary of browsing out of bundle because of the high data costs. To alleviate these concerns, we are now offering all our customers the best in market out of bundle data rate of 1 bob per 5MB. With this rate, customers can browse freely even without a data manager as they need not worry about being charged more. From today, all customers are now accessing the internet on Airtel with the best rates that have no subscriptions and no expiry. Our customers can also enjoy the best call rates of 2 bob per minute by dialing *544*2#.”

Airtel continues to grow and gain market share in Kenya due to its increased investment in network expansion, new innovative products and seamless customer service.

 

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

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

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.