Kenyan travel-booking company BuuPass has entered a strategic partnership with Nairobi-based digital wallet provider SafariBucks to introduce cross-border payment capabilities across its platform. The collaboration enables travellers to pay for buses, flights, and transfers through SafariBucks wallets while transactions settle through local payment rails. The move extends BuuPass beyond ticketing into corporate and regional travel, reinforcing its role in the evolving mobility ecosystem across Africa.
A Payment Layer for Regional Travel
Under the agreement, SafariBucks will be integrated into BuuPass consumer offerings, allowing inbound tourists to load and activate a SafariBucks wallet before arriving and use it to book supported transport services. Travellers moving between African countries can load funds in their home currency and rely on local payment rails after crossing borders. Local customers will also be able to pay for BuuPass transport through familiar payment methods, reducing dependence on cash and informal exchange fees.
Corporate Travel Integration Through Gavanpass
The corporate segment of the partnership will operate through Gavanpass, the BuuPass corporate travel platform launched in April 2026. SafariBucks Spend Management will integrate with Gavanpass to help companies fund and manage tax reporting for employee travel across multiple currencies. Businesses using the platform can consolidate travel payments while BuuPass continues to manage the underlying travel inventory and booking workflows.
Supporting Corporate Travel Growth
Sonia Kabra, co-founder and co-CEO of BuuPass, noted that corporate travel is the fastest-growing part of the business today, making the SafariBucks integration especially relevant for Gavanpass users. The platform includes approval workflows and real-time spend tracking for flights, hotels, buses, ground transfers, and group travel. This partnership provides a cross-border payment layer that can support companies managing employee movement across multiple currencies and reporting requirements.
Addressing Cross-Border Payment Friction
BuuPass executives highlighted that payments, not bookings, remain the harder half of the African travel problem. Kabra said the partnership closes that gap without requiring customers to change how they already pay. SafariBucks co-founder and CEO Ali Hassan added that the integration removes friction for tourists arriving in Nairobi and for finance teams tracking expenses across several currencies.
Platform Scale and Market Reach
BuuPass was launched in 2016 to enable intercity travel bookings for buses, trains, and flights through proprietary software and application programming interfaces. The platform provides inventory management, booking, payment, and reporting tools across online and offline environments, working with more than 150 transport operators. It is integrated with mobile money and financial platforms such as M-PESA, MTN MoMo, FNB, and Vodapay, and operates in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa.
Positioning for Regional Growth and Major Events
The partnership follows a period of expansion for BuuPass, including its 2024 acquisition of QuickBus and an undisclosed investment from Yango Ventures. BuuPass reports more than 30 million tickets sold and over $100 million processed in travel transactions. Both companies are positioning the integration for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, when fans will travel between the three host countries.
By combining the BuuPass travel inventory and distribution network with the SafariBucks cross-border payment infrastructure, the partnership aims to simplify movement across African markets. It reflects a broader shift toward integrated travel and payment solutions that serve both individual travellers and corporate clients. As the companies prepare for increased regional mobility around major events, the collaboration may serve as a model for frictionless cross-border travel in Africa.