Kenya’s tourism sector has long relied on separate payment systems for hotels and safari lodges while smaller traders lagged behind, according to Kachwanya. The article says smartphones are increasingly being used as payment devices, narrowing the gap between formal tourism businesses and informal merchants. It frames the shift as extending digital payments beyond older setups toward mobile tools used across lodges and local trade.

Co-op Bank is preparing to launch Visa Accept in Kenya, which will enable traders to convert their mobile phones into card terminals. This initiative is expected to facilitate card payments among traders, but it will not replace the existing M-Pesa mobile payment system.

Paymentology has facilitated the launch of Africa's first mobile-money Tap-to-Pay feature in collaboration with Vodacom Tanzania Plc and M-Pesa Africa. This initiative aims to enhance mobile payment options across the continent.

Mastercard has partnered with Flowcart to let consumers in Kenya discover products, place orders, and pay by card without leaving social or messaging platforms, beginning with WhatsApp. According to TechTrends KE, the initiative aims to simplify digital payments for social sellers, small and medium-sized businesses, and larger merchants engaged in conversational commerce. The companies also plan to expand the service beyond WhatsApp, though further details of the rollout were not specified in the announcement.

Visa is enhancing its digital payments ecosystem by introducing new features for Visa Accept and Visa Direct, which allow small businesses to use smartphones for receiving payments and sending real-time payouts without the need for additional payment hardware. These updates are specifically designed to support micro, small, and medium-sized businesses in emerging markets, according to TechTrends KE.

Sun King, a company known primarily for its solar energy products, is expanding its business in Kenya by entering the smartphone market more aggressively with the launch of a new device line called the EZ 3 series. According to CIO Africa, the company is betting that affordable smartphones will help it grow beyond its core solar offerings. The move signals a diversification strategy targeting price-sensitive consumers in the Kenyan market, where demand for low-cost smartphones remains strong.