Visa and Citi have partnered with African fintech firm Cellulant to launch Citi Optimized Pay, a card-based supply chain finance solution to accelerate payments to small businesses in Kenya.
- •The platform, which leverages Cellulant’s Tingg payment gateway, allows Citi’s corporate clients to pay suppliers via commercial cards, reducing payment delays that often extend up to 90 days.
- •Suppliers, in turn, can receive funds through various channels, including bank accounts and mobile wallets.
- •The move seeks to address a major bottleneck in Kenya’s US$24.8 billion supply chain finance market, where current solutions meet just 7% to 10% of demand, according to the International Finance Corporation.
“Small business supply chain finance can be the lifeblood in an emerging economy such as Kenya. Providing access to a solution that drives the financial health of supply chains, will have far reaching effects that goes beyond the short-term impact of increased access to capital, by strengthening the local supply chain network and ultimately positively impacting the economy by promoting job creation and financial inclusion,” David Li, MEA Cards Head, Citi.
By improving cash flow, Citi Optimized Pay aims to enhance financial stability for small businesses, which make up about 90% of the country’s enterprises. Visa East Africa Vice President Chad Pollock described the initiative as a step toward empowering businesses with “reliable cash flow solutions.” Cellulant Group CEO Peter O’Toole noted that the platform aligns with the company’s broader mission to deliver secure and innovative payment solutions.
“By addressing critical supply chain financing needs, this solution strengthens supply chains for corporates while enabling SME suppliers to efficiently manage cash flow—unlocking growth opportunities across the entire value chain. This is the kind of innovation that drives long-term economic growth, and we are proud to be at the forefront of powering such solutions,” Cellulant Group CEO Peter O’Toole.
The launch comes as digital payment adoption rises in Kenya, driven by mobile money and fintech-driven innovations. Visa and Citi have signaled plans to expand the platform’s capabilities to further streamline supply chain transactions.
