Lumepay enters Kenya, giving Kenyan businesses direct access to regional and global payment corridors
Cross-border B2B payment infrastructure with native KES settlement arrives in Kenya
Lumepay, the cross-border payments platform built for African businesses, today announced its entry into Kenya. Kenyan SMEs, corporates and financial institutions can now convert, send and receive funds between Kenyan shillings and more than 20 currencies from a single multi-currency account.
The launch gives Kenyan businesses one integrated route for paying suppliers in Asia, trading across West Africa, and doing business directly with South Africa. Payments settle on direct local rails, with transparent all-in FX fees up to 40% lower than traditional banking.
Kenya trades with the world, but pays a premium to do it
Kenya is one of East Africa’s main trade gateways, anchored by the Port of Mombasa. In 2024 the country exported $8.74 billion in goods, led by tea, cut flowers and coffee. It imported far more: China alone supplied $6.01 billion, followed by India and the UAE at roughly $2.5 billion each.
Nearly every one of those transactions crosses a currency border. Importers must source US dollars to pay suppliers in Guangzhou. Regional traders move goods to Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, where Kenya runs its largest trade surpluses.
For many of these businesses, the payment is harder than the trade itself.
Common barriers include:
- Correspondent chains that add days to settlement and fees at every hop
- Limited access to USD at competitive rates, especially for SMEs
- Opaque FX spreads that make landed costs hard to predict
- Separate tools for receiving, converting and paying out, each with its own reconciliation
- FX volatility: Every day a payment sits in transit adds exposure to that movement.
One platform for the full payment lifecycle
Lumepay covers every leg of a cross-border transaction within a single licensed perimeter: currency exchange, liquidity, pay-ins, payouts and settlement. Businesses no longer need to stitch together a bank, an FX broker and a payouts provider.
- Faster settlement: Payments land near-instantly or on the same day, supported by local rails and preferred payment methods (such as M-Pesa), so working capital is not stuck in transit.
- Transparent pricing: All-in FX pricing shown upfront before you pay, with up to 40% lower than typical bank pricing.
- Native African rails: Where most global processors cannot settle natively in KES, Lumepay provides direct local rails for reliable settlement.
- Multi-currency accounts: Receive, convert, send and receive across more than 20 currencies from one account.
- Bulk payments: Pay many recipients across multiple corridors in one run.
What Lumepay makes possible for Kenyan businesses
Businesses trading between Kenya and South Africa. South Africa is one of Kenya’s largest African trading partners, yet payments between the two often still route through US dollar correspondent banks. A Kenyan retailer can pay South African food and industrial suppliers at a transparent rate
Importers paying suppliers in Asia and across Africa. A Nairobi distributor importing solar equipment from China can convert KES and pay its Shenzhen supplier the same day in CNY. It sees the full cost upfront, with no correspondent deductions arriving later.
Exporters getting paid from Asia and beyond. A flower grower can receive CNY into a multi-currency account and convert to KES at a transparent rate. Tea and coffee exporters paid in USD get the same control over timing and rate.
Regional traders moving goods across Africa. An ecommerce store based in Mombasa can collect international payments, settle in KES and payout to suppliers instantly in their preferred currency.
Regional headquarters and tech companies in Nairobi. Companies running West African operations from Nairobi can pay staff, contractors and vendors across several countries in a single bulk run. Kenyan software and services firms can get paid by international clients without losing value to intermediary fees and FX volatility.
Built for Kenya’s role in African trade
“Kenyan businesses are already trading with the world. What holds them back is the cost and uncertainty of paying and getting paid across borders,” said Luc Varejes, COO at Lumepay. “We built Lumepay so a flower exporter in Naivasha or a distributor in Nairobi can move money as easily as they move goods. Kenya is a natural first step in our East African expansion.”
With licensing in place, the platform live and transactions already being processed, Lumepay enters Kenya with working infrastructure rather than a roadmap.
Lumepay will be at Africa Blockchain Festival 2026, taking place 15-17 October at the Sarit Expo Centre in Nairobi.
Kenyan businesses can open an account at Lumepay.com to open a multi-currency account, or contact the Sales team at Sales@lumepay.com for corporate and API onboarding.
About Lumepay
Lumepay is building Africa’s borderless payment infrastructure: near-instant, low-cost and transparent B2B payments within and across African markets. It serves SMEs, corporates and financial institutions with multi-currency accounts, bulk pay-ins and payouts, access to deep liquidity networks and integration-ready APIs. By combining traditional banking rails with digital rails, Lumepay addresses the full picture of cross-border payment barriers, not just a fragment. Its vision is an Africa where borders no longer limit business.
Regulatory permissions
Lumepay Limited is registered with the Bank of Canada as a Payment Service Provider and with FINTRAC as a Money Services Business. It operates throughout Africa through extended licensing, permissions and authorised partners.
Sources
- OEC Kenya trade profile, 2024 data
- World’s Top Exports Kenya imports and shilling movement
- World Bank WITS Kenya top exports
- The Standard Africa Blockchain Festival 2026 in Nairobi
- PwC Kenya VASP Regulations 2026 legal alert
