Safaricom partners with Cloudflare to boost MSME cybersecurity
Safaricom has partnered with cybersecurity firm Cloudflare and Copy Cat, a systems integrator in East Africa to help cut the costs of integrated cybersecurity services for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
The partnership aims to provide a digital security stack for Kenyan businesses, reinforcing Safaricom’s commitment to driving innovation and a one-stop shop for customers’ connectivity and technology needs.
The new affordable plans enable accessibility to cybersecurity solutions for businesses of all sizes, services that would otherwise cost five to ten times more for the same capabilities, and eliminate juggling multiple solutions across multiple vendors – a complexity and barrier for many MSMEs.
Safaricom’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Cynthia Kropac, noted that as the first managed services provider for Cloudflare solutions in all of Africa, MSMEs will have access to cybersecurity solutions, from basic protection to advanced tools.
“At the heart of this collaboration is not just technology, but affordability and accessibility. By leveraging Cloudflare's solutions, such as zero-trust services and email security hosted locally in data centers within Kenya, we are investing in a future-proof infrastructure that provides every customer, robust and advanced protection from cyber threats. Businesses can subscribe to the cloud-based cybersecurity plans of their choice online, and get access to full stack application and network security solutions from Kes5,000 per site per month and operational in hours,” Kropac said.
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Empowering small businesses
“Cloudflare’s demonstrated ability to deliver reliable services, with over 248TB processing capacity, 30 times more than any other provider in the market, underscores the scale and capacity of this offering,” she added.
Internal Kropac added that this partnership aligns with Safaricom’s commitment to empower small businesses to digitally transform and focus on growing their businesses.
“Today, we take another step towards our mission to provide innovative and reliable technology solutions to MSMEs and large enterprises alike. By combining Safaricom’s extensive knowledge of the local market with Cloudflare’s cutting-edge solutions, we are empowering Kenyan businesses to thrive in the digital age,” she remarked.
“This groundbreaking move is poised to redefine the Kenyan cybersecurity landscape and reinforce Safaricom’s commitment to safeguarding enterprises.”
The Managing Executive at Cloudflare, Graham Turnbull, noted, “The partnership with Safaricom is bringing comprehensive and effective digital security solutions closer to business owners to enable them to focus on optimizing productivity and service, with a software that guarantees progress.”
By fortifying MSMEs' digital security and fostering sustainable growth, Safaricom is contributing to the rapidly evolving digital economy. This initiative is a testament to Safaricom’s unwavering commitment to supporting the growth and sustainability of MSMEs in the digital age.
Guided by a vision where digital security, productivity, and innovation converge seamlessly, Safaricom’s alliance with Cloudflare paves the way for Kenyan businesses to not only survive but thrive in the digital age.
This collaboration also fortifies MSMEs with robust cybersecurity and equips them with tools to amplify their impact on the global stage.
Copy Cat Managing Director Vishal Patel, stated, “As organizations increasingly depend on secure and high-performance digital platforms, our joint offering will ensure that businesses of all sizes benefit from enterprise-grade protection, enabling them to scale confidently with secure, fast, and reliable digital infrastructure.”