Fast forward several years later and Safaricom is over-18 and the 07xx numbers we have grown to know, have all been depleted. The Communication Authority (CA) ‘opened’ a new batch and in August 2019, we saw the first 01xx numbers from Airtel Kenya. Today, Safaricom has announced the introduction of SIM cards with new 0110 and 0111 prefixes following the phasing out of the now-vintage 07xx Safaricom prefix. According to the telco, the new-prefix SIM cards will be available free of charge. However, customers still be required to activate their lines with airtime top-up of KSh.50. With this launch, Safaricom has also rolled out a new numbering system. In this new system, customers now have the freedom to choose their own number. In the past, phone numbers came pre-assigned to the sim cards with customers only having the option to choose from the available random numbers then memorize it with the Safaricom prefix. As mentioned, the new prefixes were allocated by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) last year following the exhaustion of the 07XX prefixes.
Below is a list of the 07xx prefix and the operator
With the unveiling of the new prefixes, Safaricom now has the capacity to add 2 million additional customers to its network. Currently, the service provider has over 34.5 million customers according to latest CA reports. What are your thoughts on Safaricom new prefix and numbering system? Love the flexibility that comes with it?
