NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 3 – Airtel Money Kenya has unveiled Bizna Wallet, a digital wallet designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) separate their business and personal finances.
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi on Monday, Airtel Money Kenya Acting Managing Director Bonke Michael said the solution was developed after extensive engagement with entrepreneurs, many of whom identified the challenge of managing business transactions using personal mobile money accounts.
“Bizna is a solution designed for entrepreneurs. The struggle that most of these businesses have is, ‘How do I separate my personal funds from my business fund?’ After speaking to our customers, speaking to our businesses, that’s what led us to come up with the Bizna Wallet,” Michael said.
According to Michael, the new wallet enables business owners to separate business income from personal finances, monitor daily sales, generate mini statements, receive payments across mobile money networks and protect business payments from unauthorized reversals, giving entrepreneurs greater visibility over their cash flow and making it easier to manage their operations.
The product primarily targets Kenya’s vast informal business sector, including kiosk owners, market traders, boda boda riders, matatu operators and other micro-enterprises that rely heavily on mobile money to run their day-to-day businesses.
The launch comes as Kenya’s SME sector continues to embrace digital payments.
According to the Mastercard SME Confidence Index, 95 percent of SMEs now accept mobile payments, underscoring the growing demand for financial services that extend beyond simply receiving money to helping businesses better manage their finances.
Michael said Airtel Money designed Bizna Wallet to respond to that demand by offering entrepreneurs a dedicated business wallet that improves financial discipline while making digital transactions more secure and rewarding.
“This is a great innovation. We want to encourage each and every Kenyan, every business, to try the Bizna Wallet. As I said, it’s free to our customers. Customers can pay to any Bizna Wallet free of charge. There’s no charge across all the bands. From one shilling to two hundred and fifty thousand shillings, you can pay to any Bizna Wallet in Kenya for free,” he said.
He added that the service became available immediately after launch, with businesses able to register through Airtel Money’s *334# USSD menu and begin receiving payments while accessing the wallet’s business management features.
Cashback shift from airtime to cash
Alongside Bizna Wallet, Airtel Money also expanded its Rudishiwa rewards programme by replacing airtime rewards with actual cash credited directly into customers’ Airtel Money cashback wallets.
The cashback programme is available to all registered Airtel Money customers making qualifying transactions worth Sh101 or more, including paybill payments, transfers to other mobile money networks, bank-to-wallet transfers and wallet-to-bank transactions.
Customers are automatically enrolled in the programme, with cashback instantly credited to a dedicated cashback wallet accessible through both the *334# USSD platform and the My Airtel App before being transferred to the customer’s main Airtel Money wallet.
Michael said the move reflects Airtel’s commitment to making digital financial services more rewarding for customers while responding to changing consumer preferences.
Kenya among Airtel Africa’s top markets
The launch also marked one of the first major public engagements by Airtel Kenya Managing Director Djibril Tobe, who assumed office on July 1.
In an exclusive interview, Tobe described Kenya as one of Airtel Africa’s most strategic markets.
“I have been in this position for a month now. I joined on July 1 and I’m very happy to be in Kenya. I appreciate Kenya as a leading ICT hub in East Africa. Kenya is among our top five operating companies in Airtel Africa,” he said.
He said the launch of Bizna Wallet and the enhanced cashback programme forms part of Airtel’s wider strategy of investing in technology, expanding network coverage and developing innovative financial solutions that improve customer experience while supporting Kenya’s digital transformation.
“Over the last few years, we’ve been investing heavily in expanding our coverage, making sure that we’re building digital infrastructure and strengthening our network for the sole purpose of improving customer experience, empowering businesses and supporting national development,” Tobe said.
According to Tobe, Airtel has consistently positioned itself as an affordable mobile money provider, noting that transfers between Airtel Money customers have always been free.
He said the transition from airtime rewards to cash cashback followed customer feedback indicating that users preferred direct financial rewards.
“We’ve been listening to our customers. We know that for Kenyans, moving money should not be charged. It’s when you’re adding value that you should charge. That’s why we came up with Rudishiwa 50 percent cashback.”
Tatu City Data Centre
Beyond financial services, Tobe announced that Airtel is investing heavily in digital infrastructure, including the construction of what he described as a Tier One, state-of-the-art hyperscale data centre in Tatu City.
Expected to be commissioned around July next year, the facility is projected to become one of the largest data centres in East Africa and will provide hosting infrastructure for SMEs, enterprises and multinational technology companies.
According to Tobe, the investment is expected to reinforce Kenya’s position as a regional technology hub while meeting the growing demand for secure local data hosting.
“It will be one of the biggest and most innovative data centres in East Africa. It will strengthen Kenya’s position as a regional hub in East Africa.”
He said technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Oracle and Apple have shown interest in hosting services at the facility because local data hosting would improve service delivery and reduce delays experienced when information is processed through overseas servers.
“Instead of data travelling all the way to Silicon Valley and back, it will be processed here in Kenya. That improves customer experience because transactions remain within the country and happen much faster.”
SpaceX Satellite partnership
Tobe also revealed that Airtel is preparing to roll out Direct-to-Cell (DTC) satellite connectivity in partnership with SpaceX, the parent company of Starlink, after successfully completing pilot tests and awaiting final regulatory approval.
The service will automatically connect compatible 4G and 5G smartphones to SpaceX satellites whenever users move outside Airtel’s terrestrial mobile network coverage, extending connectivity to remote and underserved parts of Kenya.
He said customers travelling through areas such as Garissa, Wajir, Kenya’s borders with Somalia and Ethiopia, the Coast region and other remote locations would remain connected even where conventional mobile network coverage is unavailable.
“As long as there is no coverage from the Airtel traditional network, you will be covered by the satellite of SpaceX. This product is coming and it will be a real breakthrough because everyone will be covered wherever they go seamlessly, at no extra charge while remaining on the Airtel network.”
Tobe said Airtel had already completed a successful pilot programme with support from the Communications Authority of Kenya and relevant government agencies and was awaiting final approval before commercially launching the service.
He emphasized that customers would not incur additional charges to access satellite connectivity, distinguishing the offering from traditional satellite communication services that have historically attracted premium pricing.
Expanding network coverage
Beyond satellite connectivity, Tobe said Airtel continues investing in expanding network coverage across Kenya, including improving indoor connectivity in high-rise buildings and extending coverage along major highways and rural communities.
He said the company is particularly focused on improving connectivity in underserved areas while preparing for increased adoption of 4G and 5G smartphones that will allow more Kenyans to benefit from emerging technologies such as Direct-to-Cell satellite services.
“We reiterate our commitment to delivering seamless customer experience and the most innovative products and services. We will always be leading innovation,” Tobe said.
