The True Last Mile: Why Affordable Payments Matter for Every Kenyan

At 7pm in Kisii town, Nyaboke, a greengrocer, is closing shop. Her supplier insists on payment that night, but banks are closed. Instead of waiting until morning or paying steep fees through alternatives, she opens her SBM Mfukoni app and sends the money instantly via Pesalink for only KSh 20.

This is what “last mile” inclusion means: making sure everyday Kenyans, boda riders, domestic workers, and small traders, have access to payments that are instant, affordable, and reliable, wherever they are.

The Findex 2025 report shows a major shift in financial behaviour. Mobile money use now goes beyond simple transfers and bill payments. More people are using their accounts for formal savings, credit, and insurance. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the share of adults saving formally through mobile money has doubled since 2021.

The Barriers

Cash dependence in rural areas – Without strong cash-in/cash-out networks, many remain stuck in physical transactions.

Digital literacy gaps – Older and rural customers hesitate to try digital tools due to fear of mistakes or fraud.

High fees – Small transfers often carried disproportionate costs for low-income users.

Fragmented infrastructure – Banks, SACCOs, fintechs, and telcos operate in silos, limiting interoperability.

Pesalink’s Response: Making Inclusion Practical

Affordability – Cost is one of the strongest drivers of digital transaction uptake. Customers are highly sensitive to fees, especially low-income users making frequent small transfers. High costs discourage usage and push many back to cash. Affordability ensures services stay within reach for households, traders, and casual workers who depend on every shilling.

Transparent pricing matters just as much. Customers need to know exactly what they are paying before they transact. Clear, upfront pricing builds trust and confidence, reducing the fear of hidden charges that has long discouraged many from going digital.

Pesalink and SBM Bank addressed both with the ‘Tuma na Mbao’ tariff:

KSh 1–1,000: Free

KSh 1,001–999,999: Flat KSh 20 fee

Affordability and transparency are proven drivers of digital adoption. By February 2024, digital salary payments under KSh 25,000 had grown 5X year-on-year, underscoring how fair, predictable pricing encourages more people to transact digitally

Accessibility – USSD-first tools and agent expansion bring services to customers without smartphones or internet.

Reliability – A 98%+ success rate and 24/7 uptime ensure money moves when needed, even at night or on weekends.

Innovation – Open APIs support fintechs, SACCOs, and SMEs to design products for women-led ventures, youth entrepreneurs, and informal workers.

Pesalink is connecting to the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and NALA to enable local-currency cross-border transfers, helping SMEs trade regionally without costly conversions. Partnerships with over 27 fintechs are driving new solutions like affordable credit for traders and digital payments for kiosks.

Success isn’t measured only in downloads or transaction volumes. It’s measured in the downstream impact on the real economy. When a parent pays school fees instantly, her child stays in class without interruption. When a boda rider receives payment at 9 PM without losing money to high fees, he saves more and supports his household. When a shopkeeper restocks after hours, trade continues, and local suppliers earn. Instant, affordable payments strengthen education, support healthcare, build household savings, provide quick access during emergencies, and create room for investment. This is how digital finance moves from numbers on a dashboard to real change in people’s lives

That’s why Pesalink is calling on the industry to align on simple, affordable, and interoperable pricing, because inclusion works when everyone plays on the same rails.

Pesalink is weaving digital finance into daily life in Kenya. With fair pricing, strong partnerships, and interoperable systems, adoption grows and financial inclusion moves from theory to reality.