Ziidi Trader has made it easy for Kenyans to place NSE buy/sell orders inside M-PESA.

But before you hit Buy, one thing matters:

What does a Ziidi trade actually cost - in shillings?

This post explains Ziidi Trader fees in plain English, with real examples and a simple break-even rule.

Read the full platform walkthrough here: Ziidi Trader Safaricom: How to Buy and Sell NSE Shares on M-PESA (Complete 2026 Guide)

Ziidi Trader Fees (What’s Been Indicated)

Ziidi Trader fees have been reported/indicated at around ~1.5% per trade, described as an all-in fee that bundles typical brokerage and statutory charges.

Two practical points:

1) You pay a fee when you buy
2) You pay a fee when you sell

So your “round trip” cost is roughly buy fee + sell fee.

Always confirm the latest fee inside the official Safaricom Ziidi Trader FAQ or the in-app pricing screen.

Real Example 1: Buying KES 5,000 Worth of Shares

Assume fee is 1.5%.

  • Trade value: KES 5,000
  • Fee (1.5%): KES 75
  • Total cost: KES 5,075

Real Example 2: Buy at KES 5,000, Sell at KES 5,500

Assume you buy KES 5,000 worth of shares and later sell when the value is KES 5,500.

Buy side

  • Buy value: 5,000
  • Buy fee (1.5%): 75
  • Total out: 5,075

Sell side

  • Sell value: 5,500
  • Sell fee (1.5%): 82.50
  • Net in: 5,417.50

Net result

  • Money in after selling: 5,417.50
  • Money out when buying: 5,075
  • Profit: KES 342.50

The Break-Even Rule (Most Beginners Miss This)

If fees are ~1.5% each way, your round-trip fee is roughly:

1.5% (buy) + 1.5% (sell) ≈ 3%

That means your shares typically need to move more than ~3% for you to break even comfortably (before any price slippage).

Fees matter more for:

  • small price moves
  • frequent buy/sell activity
  • short-term trading

Fees matter less for:

  • long-term investing
  • dividend holding
  • gradual accumulation

Market momentum is also pulling more people into trading right now. As more counters push to new highs and social chatter increases, many first-time investors are testing Ziidi with small trades, which makes understanding total trade cost even more important.

Why Fees Matter More When Everyone Is Trading

When trading activity rises, more beginners enter the market - and many start with small, frequent trades.
That’s where fees quietly decide outcomes: if your round-trip cost is ~3%, small moves and rapid flipping become harder to profit from.

“All-In” vs Traditional Broker Pricing (Why Ziidi Feels Cheaper)

Traditional stockbrokers often have:

  • an all-in cost that can feel higher on small trades, and/or
  • a minimum fee that makes tiny trades expensive.

Ziidi’s advantage is that smaller trades can remain practical.

Are M-PESA Transfers Charged?

Ziidi Trader has been positioned as having no extra charge for moving funds between your M-PESA wallet and the Ziidi trading account.

So your main cost is the trade fee itself.

Why Participation Is Rising (Market Momentum + Lower Friction)

When markets are moving, participation rises.

The NSE has been pushing to new highs, with a broad rally across multiple counters. As prices rise, more people look for a simple on-ramp to participate, and Ziidi reduces the usual onboarding friction.

Ziidi’s pilot started on Feb 4, 2026, which aligns with the timing of the recent surge in attention.

Who Benefits Most From Ziidi’s Fee Setup?

Ziidi tends to fit best if you’re:

  • investing long-term and not flipping daily
  • building positions gradually
  • targeting dividend income alongside growth
  • starting small while learning market mechanics

If you’re trying to do rapid in/out trades for tiny moves, the ~3% round-trip break-even rule will work against you.

Final Thoughts

Ziidi Trader’s big story isn’t only that you can trade in M-PESA.

It’s that millions of Kenyans can now place NSE orders with simplified pricing and low friction.

Key takeaways:

  • Know your true trade cost
  • Respect the ~3% round-trip break-even
  • Trade during market hours
  • Start small, then scale with experience

Related: Ziidi Trader vs Money Market Funds in Kenya