Visa Survey Highlights Digital Payment Challenges Facing Kenyan SMEs

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya have largely moved beyond the first stage of digital payment adoption, but a productivity gap remains. According to Visa’s new survey for its Pay and Get Paid 2026 report, the vast majority of surveyed SMEs in Kenya actively accept and make digital payments, showing that digital commerce is now a key part of the country’s small business economy. However, many SMEs still manage the related financial and operational tasks separately, with only one in five currently using an integrated solution that connects payments with broader business management.

The report found that SMEs face several challenges when managing their finances. Some 30% said tracking unpaid invoices was difficult, while 27% struggled to keep payroll records organised and 26% found preparing financial reports challenging. These tasks can become more difficult when businesses use separate systems to manage payments and other operations.

Anne Kinuthia-Otieno, Vice President and Head of East Africa said, “As digital transactions become part of everyday commerce, the value for SMEs increasingly lies in what those payments can enable after the transaction. For issuers, this points to a broader opportunity: integrated platforms can help build a more complete, data-informed view of SME needs, opening the door to more tailored support and, where appropriate, financing solutions that can help businesses manage working capital and grow. At Visa, we’re focused on helping financial institutions turn payment innovation into more connected, data-informed platforms that create value for their SME clients”.

According to the report, 81% of surveyed SMEs find an all-in-one solution appealing, reflecting strong interest in tools that can bring payments and key business operations into one experience. However, adoption has yet to catch up: only 19% of surveyed Kenyan SMEs currently use an integrated payment and business platform.

The report also identified several reasons behind the slow adoption of integrated platforms. A lack of awareness was the most common, with 20% of SMEs saying they did not know such tools existed. Another 14% felt their businesses were too small to need them, while 12% questioned the benefits of using one. This suggests that greater awareness of how these platforms can support everyday business operations could encourage wider adoption.

At the same time, the experience of SMEs already using integrated solutions suggests a strong value case. The report found that Kenyan businesses using an integrated tool or platform report 85% satisfaction, with 81% reporting efficiency gains, including reductions in the time and effort required to manage their business.

Beyond efficiency, integrated platforms may also create new opportunities for financial institutions to deepen SME relationships by using richer payments and business-management data to better understand cash flow patterns, support risk assessment, and potentially enable more relevant lending solutions over time.