Python Engineer
Safaricom PLC
Quick Take
You will design, build, and maintain Python-based microservices and REST APIs that power M-Pesa and Safaricom's digital products for over 40 million East African customers.
At least 3 years of professional Python experience with strong knowledge of Django or FastAPI, REST API design, and hands-on experience with PostgreSQL, Redis, and Docker.
A rare opportunity to work at Kenya's most iconic tech company, ship code used by tens of millions daily, and earn a top-tier salary of KES 150,000–250,000 per month.
Job Description
Safaricom PLC is looking for a talented Python Engineer to join our Platform Engineering team. You will build and scale the APIs and microservices powering M-Pesa and our digital products, serving over 40 million customers across East Africa.
- Design, build and maintain scalable Python-based microservices and REST APIs
- Collaborate with product and data teams to ship features used by millions of Kenyans daily
- Write clean, well-tested code with thorough documentation
- Participate in code reviews and contribute to engineering best practices
- 3+ years of professional Python development experience
- Strong understanding of Django or FastAPI
- Experience with REST API design and microservices architecture
- Proficiency with PostgreSQL and Redis
- Familiarity with Docker and CI/CD pipelines
Requirements Breakdown
Must Have
- 3+ years of professional Python development experience
- Strong proficiency with Django or FastAPI
- Experience designing and building REST APIs and microservices
- Proficiency with PostgreSQL and Redis
- Familiarity with Docker and CI/CD pipelines
Nice to Have
- Experience with high-throughput, high-availability systems at scale
- Knowledge of event-driven architectures or message queues (e.g. Kafka, RabbitMQ)
- Prior fintech or payments domain experience
- Experience with Kubernetes or cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure)
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Salary Context
Well above market rate for a mid-level Python Engineer in Nairobi
Python Engineers in Nairobi typically earn KES 80,000–160,000 per month at mid-level; Safaricom's range of KES 150,000–250,000 puts this role in the top tier of the local market, reflecting the complexity of the M-Pesa platform and competition for strong backend talent. Factors that push candidates toward the upper end include deep microservices architecture experience, fintech exposure, and demonstrated ability to work at scale.
About Safaricom PLC
Safaricom PLC is Kenya's largest telecommunications and technology company, best known for pioneering M-Pesa — the mobile money platform that transformed financial inclusion across Africa and is now used by over 40 million people in East Africa. As a publicly listed company on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Safaricom operates at the intersection of telecoms, fintech, and digital services, making it one of the most consequential tech employers on the continent. Working here means your code has real, measurable impact on how millions of Kenyans send money, pay bills, access credit, and connect to the internet.
Likely Interview Questions
- 1
Walk us through how you would design a high-availability REST API microservice in Python that needs to handle millions of transactions per day — what architectural decisions would you make?
- 2
How have you used Redis in a production system? Describe a specific caching or session management problem you solved with it.
- 3
Describe a time you identified and fixed a performance bottleneck in a Django or FastAPI application. What tools did you use to diagnose it?
- 4
How do you approach writing tests for microservices that depend on external services like databases or third-party APIs?
- 5
What does a healthy CI/CD pipeline look like to you, and what is your role as an engineer in maintaining it?
Application Tips
Quantify your API scale experience in your CV — mention request volumes, uptime SLAs, or user counts to show you've operated in high-stakes production environments similar to M-Pesa.
Highlight any experience with financial systems, payment flows, or transaction processing, as this maps directly to Safaricom's core product and will immediately differentiate your application.
Include a link to a GitHub profile or portfolio with clean, tested Python code — the posting explicitly values well-tested code and documentation, so demonstrating this proactively is a strong signal.
Career Path
Roles that lead here
Where this leads
Skills & Keywords
Honest Assessment
Green Flags
- Salary range of KES 150,000–250,000 is transparent and well above the Nairobi market average for this role, signalling that Safaricom is serious about attracting strong talent.
- Working on M-Pesa — one of Africa's most recognised and impactful technology products — offers genuine resume prestige and exposure to engineering challenges at massive scale.
- The role sits within a Platform Engineering team, which typically offers broad technical exposure across infrastructure, APIs, and product, supporting strong career growth.
- Safaricom is a publicly listed, financially stable company with a long track record in Kenya, reducing employment risk compared to early-stage startups.
Watch Out
- The job description does not mention remote or hybrid work options, suggesting this is likely a fully on-site role in Nairobi — candidates outside Nairobi should confirm relocation expectations before applying.
- No mention of specific benefits such as health cover, leave days, or pension — worth clarifying during the interview process given the seniority and salary level of this role.
A Day in the Life
A typical week starts with a team standup where you sync with product managers and data engineers on feature priorities for the M-Pesa platform, followed by deep coding sessions building or refactoring FastAPI microservices and reviewing pull requests from teammates. Midweek you might be troubleshooting a Redis caching issue surfaced by monitoring dashboards, pairing with a colleague on a PostgreSQL query optimisation, or writing unit and integration tests before pushing a new API endpoint through the CI/CD pipeline. By Friday you could be in a cross-team design review, contributing to architecture decisions that will affect how tens of millions of transactions are processed every week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications do I need to become a Python Engineer at Safaricom PLC?
You need at least 3 years of professional Python development experience, strong knowledge of Django or FastAPI, hands-on experience with REST APIs and microservices, and proficiency with PostgreSQL, Redis, and Docker.
Is the Python Engineer role at Safaricom PLC remote or hybrid?
The posting lists the location as Nairobi with no mention of remote or hybrid options, so candidates should assume this is an on-site role and confirm working arrangements during the interview process.
How much does a Python Engineer earn at Safaricom PLC?
The advertised salary range is KES 150,000–250,000 per month, which is significantly above the typical Nairobi market rate for this level of role and reflects the complexity and scale of Safaricom's platform.
What are the career growth opportunities for a Python Engineer at Safaricom?
This role sits within Platform Engineering at one of Africa's largest tech companies, offering a natural path toward Senior Engineer, Tech Lead, or Engineering Manager roles as you gain experience with Safaricom's large-scale systems and cross-functional teams.
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