Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL), the operator of
Pesalink, has launched a new Fintech Programme aimed at accelerating innovation
and collaboration in Kenya’s fast-growing digital payments ecosystem.
The initiative seeks to give fintech startups direct access
to Pesalink’s secure payment infrastructure — including APIs, settlement
networks, and testing tools — to enable faster rollout of financial services.
The move marks a strategic shift for Pesalink from being
solely a payment network to becoming an open, industry-led innovation platform
connecting banks, fintechs, and digital platforms through Kenya’s real-time
payment rails.
Under the new programme, fintechs will be able to build,
test, and scale financial products more efficiently while benefiting from
partnerships with settlement banks for liquidity management and secure fund
movement.
So far, IPSL has onboarded 26 fintech partners, and entered
into preferential access agreements with select settlement banks to support the
rollout of new digital payment solutions.
Pesalink’s CEO, Gituku Kirika, said the initiative aims to
move beyond enabling transfers to supporting innovation across the sector.
“The Fintech Programme gives players the freedom to
experiment, test, and connect directly with our payment rails. Propositions
like BulkPay and PesalinkPay turn that access into real, scalable
opportunities,” Kirika said.
The programme introduces two new use cases — BulkPay and
PesalinkPay — designed to meet growing demand for instant, account-to-account
transactions.
BulkPay allows businesses and fintechs to send multiple
payments simultaneously through a single interface, streamlining payrolls,
supplier payments, refunds, and loan disbursements.
PesalinkPay, on the other hand, enables merchants to receive
instant payments from customers directly into their bank accounts, eliminating
the need for intermediaries.
To support innovation, IPSL has also introduced a developer
sandbox, allowing fintechs to safely test integrations, validate ideas, and
bring services to market faster.
The sandbox aims to lower entry barriers and enhance
consumer safety while encouraging wider participation in the national payments
ecosystem.
IPSL Board Chairman Jeremy Ngunze said the programme would
enhance interoperability and competition in Kenya’s financial services sector.
“By simplifying access and testing, we’re encouraging
innovators to build on shared infrastructure rather than isolated systems. This
will drive efficiency, competition, and inclusion across the digital economy,”
he said.
Kenya’s digital payments sector continues to expand rapidly,
projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 14.1%, according to SDK Finance
(2024). McKinsey (2024) also ranks Kenya among Africa’s leading real-time
payments ecosystems.
Pesalink’s open-access model, industry observers note, could
set a new benchmark for collaborative innovation and sustainable digital growth
in the country’s financial sector.
