Verto Takes Centre Stage as Kenya Enters Next Phase of Payment Infrastructure

Verto Kenya Director of Sales Mark Mwaniki (left) addresses journalists during a media roundtable in Nairobi on February 24, 2026,

For more than a decade, Kenya has been celebrated as Africa’s digital payments pioneer, largely powered by the runaway success of mobile money. But industry leaders now say the country’s next leap will not be driven by another consumer app, it will depend on strengthening the invisible rails that move money behind the scenes.

At a Nairobi media roundtable convened by Verto on Tuesday, the conversation shifted from innovation at the edges to the core systems that determine how fast, transparent and affordable payments can be, especially for businesses trading across borders.

Mark Mwaniki, Director of Sales at Verto Kenya, argues that the future of payments in Kenya is less about flashy front-end solutions and more about infrastructure that supports companies operating at scale.

“Kenya has proven what is possible when innovation meets strong demand, but the conversation now needs to shift to infrastructure,” Mwaniki said. “Businesses want payments that move as fast as their operations do. That means fewer intermediaries, clearer pricing, and systems that can handle both local and cross-border transactions without friction.”

While consumers have seamlessly adopted digital wallets and mobile transfers, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still struggle with settlement delays, foreign exchange volatility and limited visibility when moving money internationally.

Mwaniki points to a practical example: a Kenyan tourism operator receiving payment from a UK client. In some cases, he said, it can be easier for a traveller to carry cash on an eight-hour flight than to wire funds through traditional banking channels, a process that can take between 48 and 72 hours, sometimes longer, due to multiple intermediary banks.

Those delays are not just inconvenient; they can choke cash flow and stunt growth.

One of the biggest pain points Verto identified in its market research was settlement speed. The second was foreign exchange transparency. The third was access, particularly for exporters seeking to trade beyond traditional corridors.

“A flower exporter in Kenya wants to sell to a buyer in Australia,” Mwaniki explained. “They ask themselves, how can I access those Australian dollars? How can I be paid? And if I’m to be paid in my bank account, how long will the money take to reach me?”

According to Mwaniki, the solution lies in infrastructure that gives businesses local collection accounts in foreign markets without requiring incorporation there, allowing them to receive funds instantly, convert currencies with visibility, and pay out locally or globally. The model, he says, puts businesses “in full control” of their financial flows.

Kenya’s position as East Africa’s trade and investment hub makes the stakes even higher. With operations spanning Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and a presence in markets such as Nigeria and South Africa. Verto views Nairobi as a strategic anchor for regional expansion.

However, infrastructure growth does not come without hurdles. Regulation remains a defining challenge in Africa’s fragmented financial landscape, where each country operates under distinct frameworks. Mwaniki describes Verto’s model as “regulator-led,” built on partnerships with banks and authorities to ensure compliance before products reach the market.

Industry players at the roundtable agreed that collaboration between regulators, financial institutions and fintech infrastructure providers will be critical in sustaining Kenya’s competitive edge.

As foreign exchange markets stabilise and cross-border trade gains momentum, the next frontier may lie in embedded finance enabling other businesses to plug directly into payment infrastructure through APIs, rather than building costly systems from scratch.

For Mwaniki, the ambition is clear: to become the “go-to infrastructure partner” for African businesses trading globally.

“Payments are no longer just a support function,” he said. “They are a strategic enabler for trade, investment, and economic inclusion. Getting the infrastructure right is what will determine how far Kenya can go in the next phase of its digital economy.”

If Kenya’s first payments revolution empowered consumers, the next one may well be defined by whether its businesses can move money across borders as seamlessly as they send a mobile transfer at home.