Kenyan small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have widely adopted digital payments, but many still rely on disconnected tools to manage their operations, according to Visa’s Pay and Get Paid 2026 report.

The survey found that only 19% of Kenyan SMEs use integrated platforms that combine payments with business management, despite 81% expressing interest in all-in-one solutions.

Administrative tasks remain a challenge for businesses, with 30% of surveyed SMEs citing difficulties tracking outstanding invoices, 27% struggling to organize payroll records and 26% reporting challenges preparing financial reports.

Awareness and perceived relevance are among the barriers to adoption. The report found that 20% of SMEs were unaware integrated solutions existed, while 14% felt their businesses were too small to need such platforms.

However, businesses already using integrated tools reported an 85% satisfaction rate, with 81% indicating efficiency gains, including reduced time and effort spent managing operations.

Visa said integrated platforms could also help financial institutions better understand SME cash flows, improve risk assessments and develop more relevant financing solutions.

“As digital transactions become part of everyday commerce, the value for SMEs increasingly lies in what those payments can enable after the transaction,” said Anne Kinuthia-Otieno, Visa’s Vice President and Head of East Africa.

She added that integrated platforms could help financial institutions provide more tailored support and financing solutions to businesses seeking to manage working capital and grow.

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