How to become a Safaricom supplier: 6 registration steps

Updated 10 November 2026

If you want to know how to become a Safaricom supplier, the route is set out on the company’s supplier hub: register your business on the prospective supplier portal, wait about five working days for feedback, then pass a prequalification review that usually takes 10 working days. Prequalified firms can then be invited to bid when Safaricom needs goods or services in their category. Registration and prequalification are free, and you do not need to know anyone at Safaricom. This guide walks through each step, the information you need and how to avoid common delays.

Checked on 9 November 2026 against Safaricom’s supplier hub, its supplier FAQs, the tenders page and the invoice submission guide. Processes can change. Check the hub before you apply.

How to become a Safaricom supplier: the 6 steps

1. Register online. Open the Partner With Us section of the supplier hub and sign up on the prospective supplier registration portal.
2. Submit company details. Enter your registration and tax information, contacts, directors, references and products or services. Attach your company profile and registration certificates, and choose the supply categories you are interested in.
3. Wait for feedback. Safaricom says it usually responds within five working days of receiving a registration request.
4. Answer the prequalification questionnaire. If your registration is approved, you receive a questionnaire to complete within the stated time.
5. Get the result. Safaricom evaluates your response and tells you whether you passed, using the contact details you gave at registration.
6. Bid when invited. Prequalified suppliers may be invited to tender in their category when a need arises.

Some suppliers skip prequalification. Safaricom says sponsorship partners, statutory bodies and schools are registered for payment purposes only, so once approved they are not prequalified.

How to become a Safaricom supplier: what to prepare

Having documents ready is the simplest way to speed up how to become a Safaricom supplier. Based on the fields Safaricom lists, prepare:

• Your certificate of incorporation or business registration and current registration details.
• Your KRA PIN and tax information. A valid tax compliance certificate is also worth having on hand.
• Contact details for the person who will handle the account.
• Directors’ details.
• Client references for similar work.
• A clear list of the products or services you supply, matched to Safaricom’s categories.
• A short, up-to-date company profile in PDF.

The hub also has a Mandatory Documents and Requirements section and step-by-step guides. Read them before you start, as the portal asks for uploads during registration.

How to become a Safaricom supplier through prequalification

Prequalification is where most of the work in how to become a Safaricom supplier happens. Safaricom says it reviews nine areas:

1. Financial capacity
2. Health and safety
3. Licensing
4. Partnerships and accreditations
5. Insurance
6. Management policies
7. Business experience in the relevant supply category
8. Probity and litigation
9. Conflicts of interest

The process takes 10 working days, but can take longer if information is missing or unclear, because Safaricom gives suppliers time to resubmit. Submitting complete audited accounts, valid licences, insurance certificates and written policies (for example health and safety, and anti-bribery) the first time avoids that delay.

Tenders: what prequalification does and does not guarantee

Passing prequalification does not mean you will get work. Safaricom says the process identifies suppliers who may later be invited to tender, and there is no guarantee of an invitation within any time frame, because a need may not arise in your category.

Safaricom also publishes some opportunities openly on its tenders page, with release and closing dates and a downloadable document. On 9 November 2026 the page listed an expression of interest for data annotation services, released on 2 November and closing on 13 November 2026. Check the page regularly if you want to bid on open calls.

For public sector work, the process is different. See our guides on registering on the government e-GP system, Kenya Power supplier registration and tender security.

Getting paid: invoicing on the iSupplier Portal

The last part of how to become a Safaricom supplier is getting paid. Once you hold a purchase order, existing suppliers use the iSupplier Portal to track transactions and post invoices. Safaricom’s guide sets out the steps:

1. Log in and open SAF iSupplier Portal Full Access, then the Home Page.
2. Under Orders At A Glance, click the order number.
3. Open the Finance tab and click Go next to “Create Invoice With a PO”.
4. Enter the purchase order number, then your invoice number, and attach a scanned copy of the invoice.
5. Click Next to review the summary, then Submit. A confirmation alert appears.

How to become a Safaricom supplier safely: tips and red flags

• Never pay anyone to get listed. Safaricom says its prequalification is free, fair and transparent. Report anyone asking for money through its anonymous ethics hotline, toll-free 0800 720 009.
• Pick categories you can deliver. Evaluation looks at experience in the relevant category, so choose the ones where you have references.
• Keep your details current. Feedback goes to the contacts you register.
• Ask for help early. The supplier help desk is SupplierHelpDesk@safaricom.co.ke.

The steps on how to become a Safaricom supplier are free and open to all qualified firms. Safaricom says that includes businesses owned by women, youth and people with disabilities.

Frequently asked questions

Does it cost money to become a Safaricom supplier?

No. Safaricom says registration and prequalification are free, and you do not need to know anyone at the company to be prequalified.

How long does Safaricom supplier registration take?

Safaricom usually gives feedback on a registration within five working days. Prequalification then takes about 10 working days, or longer if information is missing.

What does Safaricom check during prequalification?

Financial capacity, health and safety, licensing, partnerships and accreditations, insurance, management policies, relevant business experience, probity and litigation, and conflicts of interest.

Will I get a tender after prequalification?

Not necessarily. Prequalified suppliers may be invited to tender when a need arises in their category, but Safaricom gives no guarantee or time frame.