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Vodafone M-PESA: “Unusual Innovation” - From a Corporate Social Responsibility Project to Business Model Innovation

Published 29 Sep 2014
Reference 5693
Region Africa
Length 18 page(s)
popular
Prizes & Awards

Runner Up for 2011 Oikos Case Writing Competition, Social Entrepreneurship Category

Summary

Vodafone, in partnership with Safaricom, the leading Kenyan mobile operator, launches a service that allows registered users to transfer money from their mobile phones to other mobile phone users. With 11 million registered users after just three years (50% of Kenya’s adult population),Vodafone is now rolling out M-PESA in Tanzania, Afghanistan, South Africa and Fiji. The case explores both the internal and external factors that underpinned the success story.

Teaching objectives

To examine how an innovation track pioneered by a major international corporate player outside the traditional corporate process can lead to the creation of new services for new markets. And how, once successful, it can be integrated into the core business for replication.

Keywords
  • Vodafone
  • M-Pesa
  • Mobile money
  • Innovation
  • Kenya
  • CSR strategies
  • Q11415