Pesalink, NALA, and Equity Bank Partner to Transform Cross-Border Payments into Kenya 

3 September 2025 | Nairobi, Kenya —Pesalink, NALA, and Equity Bank are partnering to make sending money home for Kenyans abroad faster, more reliable, and more accessible. This collaboration combines Pesalink’s instant payment infrastructure, NALA’s global fintech platform, and Equity Bank’s extensive network to improve the efficiency and affordability of last mile cross-border transfers. 

Diaspora inflows to Kenya reached a record US$4.94 billion (Ksh 637.3 billion) in 2024, up about 18 percent from 2023. Remittances now rank among Kenya’s top sources of foreign exchange. This partnership targets those flows by making delivery faster and cheaper for senders and recipients. 

NALA provides cross-border payment services for consumers and businesses. Senders in the US, UK, and Europe can now use the NALA app to pay with a debit card or bank account, and recipients in Kenya will receive funds in near real time into mobile wallets or bank accounts. 

Speaking on behalf of Equity Bank Kenya Managing Director Moses Nyabanda, the Group Head of International Banking & Payments, Samuel Ireri said, “This partnership is more than a technical integration, it’s a strategic move that aligns with Equity Group’s Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan to drive inclusive economic growth across the continent. By combining NALA’s user-friendly platform with ’s real-time capabilities and Equity’s settlement infrastructure, we are digitizing remittance flows and expanding access to underserved communities.” 

This partnership enables NALA route transfers through Pesalink’s instant payment network, eliminating intermediaries and long waits from the remittance journey. Pesalink supports instant account-to-account transfers up to Ksh 999,999 per transaction across 80+ participants, including banks, SACCOs, telcos and fintechs. 

“Removing friction from cross-border payments drives inclusion and reliability for millions of Kenyans,” said Kenn Lisudza, Chief Products Officer, IPSL. “Through this partnership, Equity Bank’s enabling role, Pesalink’s trusted infrastructure and NALA’s global reach will deliver faster, cheaper remittances for households and businesses.” 

For Kenyans living and working in the US, UK, and Europe, using the NALA app means money can now arrive almost instantly into bank accounts or mobile wallets in Kenya, supporting everyday financial planning for families and businesses alike. 

Fintechs and remittance firms also stand to benefit from access to Pesalink’s trusted infrastructure and richer payment data to support reconciliation. Together, these improvements will create a stronger foundation for Kenya’s economy, where faster and more predictable transfers fuel growth for individuals, SMEs, and the wider ecosystem. 

“Every year, billions are lost to cross-border payment fees worldwide. At NALA, we believe people deserve better, money sent home should arrive faster, more reliably, and at a fair cost. That is why our choice of infrastructure partners is essential to reduce fees and make cross-border payments more affordable for everyone,” said Nicolas Eddy, COO, NALA. 

 

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About NALA 

Founded in 2021,  NALA  set out to reduce costs and improve reliability in cross-border payments. We partner with global regulators and ecosystem players to build faster, safer, and more affordable payment solutions. With deep expertise in local and global payments, we focus on emerging markets — where the need is greatest. 

For more information, please contact:  [email protected]  

 

About  Pesalink 

Pesalink is an instant, open, and interoperable payment network facilitating the transfer of funds between bank accounts, mobile money wallets, and SACCOs via online banking, bank mobile app, or USSD, for transactions up to Ksh 999,999.  is operated by Integrated Payment Services Limited (IPSL) and owned by the Kenya Bankers Association. IPSL was established in 2015 under the National Payment System Act.  

For more information, please visit:  http://www.pesalink.co.ke  

For more information, please contact: 

Trezer Maina, Head of Marketing, Integrated Payment Services Limited,  [email protected]   or  Cynthia Wangu, Senior Account Manager, Levanter Africa,  [email protected]  

 

About Equity Group Holdings PlC 

  

Equity Group Holdings Plc. is a Pan-African financial services holding company listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, Uganda Securities Exchange, and Rwanda Stock Exchange. The Group has banking subsidiaries in Kenya, DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and a Commercial Representative Office in Ethiopia. It has other subsidiaries in investment banking, insurance, telecom, fintech and social impact investments. Equity Group is the largest integrated financial services firm in the region with a market capitalization of USD 1.43 billion. 

  

The Group has an asset base of USD 13.92 Billion, a customer base of 22.4 million supported by a footprint of 406 branches, 86,910 Agents, over 1.1 million Pay with Equity (PWE) merchants, 36,774 Point-of-Sale (POS) Merchants, 876 ATMs and an extensive adoption of digital banking channel. The Bank’s strong brand recognition, solid liquidity buffers and resilient funding profile, established domestic franchise and extensive adoption of digital and alternative distribution channels have seen the Bank retain title as Kenya’s most valuable brand in 2025, for second year running, and earned it the honour of being the Second Strongest Financial Brand on Earth in 2024 by Brand Finance. It was named the Best Regional Bank in East Africa – 2025 by African Banker and was also ranked as the strongest bank in Africa and 10th most valuable banking brand in Africa, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) of 92.5 out of 100 and a brand ranking score of AAA+, the highest rating that a brand can attain. 

 

For more information log on to Website:  https://equitygroupholdings.com  

 

Alex Muhia | Equity Group   |T: Office - 0763 026007: Mobile - 0763 618871 | E:  [email protected]     

Daniel Okoth | Ogilvy Africa PR&I | T: +254 737 111 708   | E:   [email protected]