Kenya is rolling out a new mobile payments platform aimed at capturing tourism spending that has long slipped through the cracks of a cash-dependent informal economy, even as the sector generates roughly KSh 500 billion annually.
- •TouristTap, developed by Craft Silicon in partnership with KCB Bank and Visa, enables international and domestic visitors to make card-based payments directly from their mobile phones to merchants who lack traditional point-of-sale infrastructure.
- •The system allows vendors to receive payments using existing mobile numbers or till accounts, eliminating the need for card machines.
- •The rollout targets a structural gap in Kenya’s tourism value chain: the inability of informal operators, ranging from market traders and transport providers to small-scale service vendors, to accept international payment methods.
“When payment acceptance is simple and reliable, businesses are better placed to serve more customers, improve turnaround time, and participate more competitively in the formal economy,” said David Nyamu, General Manager, Sovereign & Public Sector, KCB.
While hotels, airlines, and park operators are largely integrated into global payment networks, a substantial portion of tourist spending occurs in settings where transactions remain cash-based, limiting revenue capture and financial transparency.
“Kenya's tourism sector is one of the most powerful engines of our economy. TouristTap is not only about convenience for visitors but also empowering every Kenyan who is part of the tourism value chain,” said Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano.
TouristTap is also being positioned for regional expansion, with pilot programs underway in Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Its market strategy focuses on destinations where mobile money systems are widespread but card acceptance remains limited.
