Pesalink and Nairobi-based fintech TendePay have partnered to make bulk and single payments faster, giving small businesses the ability to instantly move up to KES 999,999 ($7,700) across banks. The collaboration signals how private players are expanding payment options for companies as regulators take their time with structural reforms.
How the Partnership Works
Pesalink, operated by the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), already connects local banks, mobile money providers, and fintechs. TendePay, which started as a petty cash tool, has evolved into a full spend management platform.
Together, they allow businesses to:
- Run payroll
- Pay suppliers and utilities
- Collect customer payments
All through a CBK-regulated platform with automatic reconciliation — a critical feature for firms handling hundreds or thousands of daily transactions.
“This partnership reflects our evolution into a full spend management platform,” said TendePay CEO Abel Masai. “With Pesalink’s trusted infrastructure, we are giving businesses a reliable, secure, and affordable tool to manage every payment, whether large or small, at any time.”
Why the Timing Matters
The move comes as the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) explores a new fast payment system (FPS) to make transfers cheaper and more interoperable for business payments. In 2024, CBK announced plans to roll out an instant payment system that could transform the country’s financial network.
While timelines remain uncertain, players such as Pesalink, M-PESA, and Airtel Money have been investing heavily to boost capacity and deepen partnerships.
“At Pesalink, we believe collaboration is the key to helping businesses move differently,” said Ken Lisudza, Chief Commercial Officer at Pesalink. “Pesalink was built on the principle of interoperability to simplify payments by delivering instant and affordable transfers across Kenya’s financial ecosystem.”
Competing Visions for Kenya’s Payment Future
Pesalink has gained ground as a preferred option among banks and fintechs. Safaricom and the KBA have argued that building a completely new system could cost $200 million and four years—duplicating infrastructure that already works. Instead, they propose upgrading existing rails.
At the same time, Safaricom has been expanding M-PESA’s role in bank transfers. In September, it doubled the per-transaction limit to KES 500,000 ($3,900) via a Pesalink mini app, offering SMEs and corporates more flexibility for high-value transactions.
The Bigger Picture
These developments point to a financial sector racing to meet the growing demand for real-time, high-value digital payments. Whether Kenya builds a new system or strengthens current infrastructure, partnerships like Pesalink and TendePay’s are reshaping how SMEs handle money today.
