NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 11 – A Kenyan travel technology startup is seeking to make international connectivity easier for travellers by eliminating the need for plastic SIM cards and reducing reliance on expensive roaming services.
SafSIM, a product of Esivo Limited, targets travellers who face high international roaming charges, unreliable airport Wi-Fi and the inconvenience of buying and registering local SIM cards whenever they enter a new country.
The company, which launched publicly in April 2026, says it has connected more than 500 customers and partnered with 20 tours and travel companies in Kenya as it seeks to build a presence in the growing travel connectivity market.
SafSIM was founded by Esivo Limited Chief Operations Officer Geoffrey Mbuthia after an experience in 2024 highlighted the challenges caused by losing mobile connectivity while travelling.
Mr Mbuthia had gone to the airport to receive a friend whose flight was scheduled to arrive at 5:45 p.m. When she did not arrive, he waited until around 8 p.m. before contacting her family and the airline.
He was informed that the flight had been rescheduled to 10:45 p.m.
What he did not know was that his friend had sent him a WhatsApp message at around 3 p.m. informing him of the change. The message had not reached him after she left Wi-Fi coverage.
When she eventually landed and connected to the Kenyan mobile network, the delayed message came through.
For Mr Mbuthia, the incident demonstrated how the loss of connectivity can create unnecessary delays and anxiety.
The experience prompted a question that would eventually lead to SafSIM: what if travellers could remain connected as they moved between countries and mobile networks?
Building a business around connectivity
SafSIM uses eSIM technology, allowing travellers to access mobile connectivity without physically replacing their SIM cards when crossing borders.
The service is aimed at customers who would otherwise have to choose between paying potentially high roaming charges and spending time looking for a local network provider after landing.
The company began developing its platform in 2025 before testing and piloting the service between January and March 2026. It launched publicly in April.
SafSIM initially focused on individual travellers but is increasingly pursuing business-to-business partnerships, seeking to make connectivity part of travel packages rather than a service customers arrange after reaching their destination.
Its target customers include tourists, students, business travellers, travel agencies, tour operators and companies whose employees travel internationally.
eSIM compatibility remains a challenge
One of the biggest challenges facing the startup is device compatibility.
Not all mobile phones support eSIM technology, potentially limiting the market for SafSIM, particularly among consumers using older or entry-level devices.
The company is developing a solution aimed at allowing customers with incompatible devices to access its services. SafSIM has set the end of September 2026 as its target for completing the solution.
The move is expected to widen the company’s potential customer base beyond users of newer smartphones.
“Connectivity should not be limited to people with the latest devices,” is the principle guiding the initiative, according to the company.
Building awareness in a growing market
SafSIM also faces the challenge of educating consumers about eSIM technology as it competes with established international connectivity providers.
For many travellers, eSIMs remain unfamiliar, requiring the company to explain both how the technology works and the benefits of arranging connectivity before departure.
The startup says it has invested in customer education, awareness and marketing as it seeks to build confidence in the technology.
Its Kenyan base also allows it to offer local payment options, including mobile money, as well as round-the-clock customer support.
From one missed message to 500 customers
SafSIM’s early customers include business travellers, students and tourists. The company has also served public figures, including media personality Jeff Koinange and artist Wanja Asali.
For Mr Mbuthia, however, the significance of the business lies beyond its early customer numbers.
The idea that emerged from a missed WhatsApp message in 2024 was followed by platform development in 2025, testing and piloting in early 2026, and the public launch in April.
The company is now focused on converting that early traction into a scalable business, with device compatibility and partnerships with tour operators, travel agencies and corporates among its immediate priorities.
Taking a Kenyan idea to global travellers
SafSIM is positioning itself as a Kenyan travel connectivity company with ambitions beyond the domestic market.
Its longer-term goal is to provide connectivity to travellers moving across multiple countries without requiring them to repeatedly change SIM cards or arrange local mobile services.
The startup is betting that connectivity will increasingly become part of the travel planning process, rather than something travellers have to solve after landing.
For SafSIM, the opportunity lies in turning what has traditionally been a travel inconvenience into a service that is arranged before the journey begins.
