Safaricom, airline to market SMEs abroad

Safaricom and British Airways have launched a marketing platform that will see Small and Micro-Enterprises (SMEs) expand to the international market.

Through the Emerging Enterprise Initiative, SMEs will not only get a chance to export their goods abroad across the 114 destinations of British Airways but also source supplies cost-effectively. Safaricom Director of Enterprise Business Rita Okuthe said most SMEs have been incapacitated due to lack of exposure despite their elaborate adoption of technology. "SMEs are the major drivers of the Kenyan economy," said Okuthe in a statement during the launch of the initiative in Nairobi. Okuthe said despite technology platforms having localised the global market, the initiative is important in providing strategic partnerships to ensure business is transacted in timely and cost effective manner. Kenya has over 800,000 SMEs.