Airtel Money Kenya has launched a new digital wallet targeting small businesses, seeking to help entrepreneurs separate business transactions from personal finances and gain better control over their daily cash flows.
The new Bizna Wallet is designed for micro and small enterprises, including kiosk operators, market traders, boda boda riders, matatu operators and other informal businesses that rely heavily on mobile money for day-to-day transactions.
The launch comes as Kenya’s small businesses increasingly shift to digital payments, creating demand for financial tools that offer more than just the ability to receive and send money.
According to the Mastercard SME Confidence Index, 95 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises in Kenya now accept mobile payments, highlighting the growing importance of digital financial services in the country’s business ecosystem.
Airtel Money Kenya Acting Managing Director Michael Bonke said the Bizna Wallet was developed to address the practical financial management challenges facing small businesses, many of which continue to use personal mobile wallets to run their operations.
He said the new platform would enable entrepreneurs to separate their business income from personal funds, track daily sales and access mini statements, while also receiving payments across different mobile money networks.
“Small businesses are at the heart of Kenya’s economy, yet many entrepreneurs still rely on personal wallets to manage business finances. Airtel Money Bizna Wallet is designed for kiosk owners, market traders, boda boda riders, matatu operators and other micro-businesses to enable them to separate business income from personal finances, monitor their daily sales, access mini statements, receive payments across mobile money networks and protect business payments from unauthorised reversals,” Mr Bonke said.
The Airtel Money executive said the service would give small business owners greater visibility of their finances, helping them make better decisions and maintain more stable operations.
The move is likely to intensify competition in Kenya’s rapidly expanding digital payments market, where mobile money has become a critical tool for businesses operating outside the formal banking system.
For many micro-enterprises, mobile wallets have become an essential alternative to traditional bank accounts, allowing traders to receive customer payments, pay suppliers and settle bills without having to visit a bank.
However, the continued use of personal wallets for business transactions has often made it difficult for entrepreneurs to distinguish between household spending and business income, complicating financial planning and cash-flow management.
Airtel Money said Bizna Wallet seeks to address that gap by providing a dedicated digital space for business transactions while enhancing security and convenience.
“Our goal is to provide solutions that help businesses operate more efficiently while making digital financial services more accessible and rewarding,” Mr Bonke said.
Alongside the Bizna Wallet launch, Airtel Money has expanded its Rudishiwa cashback proposition, offering customers financial rewards on selected transactions.
The company said all eligible Airtel Money customers can now earn 50 per cent cashback on qualifying transactions, including Paybill payments, transfers to customers on other mobile money networks, bank-to-wallet transfers and wallet-to-bank transactions.
The initiative marks a shift from Airtel Money’s earlier reward programmes, which primarily offered airtime incentives, with the company now giving customers cash rewards that can be moved into their main Airtel Money wallets.
“As Kenya’s digital economy continues to grow, so do the needs of businesses and consumers. At Airtel Money, we are continuously investing in technology, expanding our reach and developing innovative solutions that make financial services simpler, more secure and more relevant for our customers,” Mr Bonke said.
He added: “Initially, we had airtime rewards, and now we have introduced real cash rewards that go into your cashback wallet for every eligible transaction. Customers can transfer the cash from the cashback wallet into the main Airtel Money wallet.”
The cashback offer is open to all registered Airtel Money customers in Kenya who complete qualifying transactions of Sh101 or more.
Airtel Money said customers do not need to opt in to participate in the programme, with eligible cashback credited instantly as cash to a dedicated Cashback Wallet.
The rewards can be accessed by customers using both the USSD platform *334# and the My Airtel App, giving users the flexibility to manage their cashback through their preferred channel.
The company said customers can use the rewards across a range of Airtel Money services after transferring the funds from the Cashback Wallet to their main Airtel Money wallet.
The launch of Bizna Wallet and the expanded cashback programme underscores the intensifying competition among mobile money providers to deepen customer loyalty while expanding the use of digital financial services among Kenya’s businesses and consumers.
For small enterprises, the focus is increasingly shifting from simply digitising payments to providing tools that can help owners track income, manage cash flow and operate their businesses more efficiently.
Airtel Money said it would continue investing in technology and expanding its digital financial services as Kenya’s economy becomes increasingly reliant on mobile payments and other digital platforms.
