Tanzanian fintech NALA has entered Kenya through a three-way integration with Equity Bank and the PesaLink instant payments network, opening a new channel for diaspora remittances into the country. The move gives NALA immediate reach into Kenyan bank accounts and mobile wallets without waiting out a lengthy standalone licensing process. Local tech outlets and partner announcements confirm the rollout and its focus on faster, cheaper inflows.
What the Partnership Enables
Under the arrangement, NALA routes payments from the US, UK, and Europe into PesaLink for instant clearing, with Equity Bank acting as settlement and distribution partner. Recipients can receive funds in real time to bank accounts or mobile wallets linked to those accounts. That combination is positioned to attack cross-border transfer friction on both speed and cost.
Why Kenya Matters
Kenya’s remittance inflows hit a record in 2024, rising about 18 percent year over year to roughly $4.94–$4.95 billion, now accounting for around 4 percent of GDP. Those volumes make remittances the country’s second-largest source of foreign exchange after agriculture, underscoring the strategic value of faster rails. The partnership squarely targets the corridors where NALA already concentrates users.
Inside the Rails: PesaLink and Equity’s Roles
PesaLink is operated by Integrated Payment Services Limited, a Kenya Bankers Association subsidiary, and was built as the industry’s real-time interbank network. Equity Bank brings scale, compliance muscle, and established diaspora channels, extending reach across accounts and wallets. Together with NALA’s front-end, the stack connects trusted domestic rails to international send markets.
Navigating Regulation and Speed to Market
By leaning on regulated local infrastructure, NALA sidesteps the long queue for a direct authorisation while still operating within CBK-supervised rails. This “partner-first” route echoes playbooks used by other cross-border players to compress time-to-market. It is a pragmatic way to test pricing and service quality in Kenya’s most competitive payment corridor before scaling.
Signals from the Partners
Early communications from the companies frame the deal around reliability, inclusion, and lower fees for households and businesses sending and receiving money. Equity Bank and PesaLink have publicly highlighted the collaboration as an upgrade to Kenya’s inbound remittance experience. NALA has likewise flagged the integration as a step toward making transfers easier and cheaper for the diaspora.
Competitive Stakes and Differentiation
Kenya’s payments market is unforgiving, with M-PESA, global remitters, and bank-led channels already entrenched at scale. To win share, NALA must consistently beat incumbents on end-to-end speed, total landed cost, and failure rates during peak traffic. If PesaLink’s instant clearing and Equity’s reach deliver measurable advantages, pricing headroom could follow.
What to Watch Next
Three proof points will determine traction in the near term: average delivery time to bank and wallet, total fees versus leading corridors, and customer support performance on exceptions. A second wave would likely include expanded corridors, deeper wallet integrations, and merchant payouts for SMEs receiving funds. Transparent data on pricing and uptime will matter as much as marketing.
NALA’s Kenya entry via Equity Bank and PesaLink is a calculated land-and-expand strategy built on domestic instant rails and diaspora demand. Strong remittance fundamentals give the partnership a favorable macro backdrop, but real differentiation will hinge on execution in a crowded arena. If the trio can sustain faster settlement and lower delivered costs at scale, they will reshape a key Africa corridor rather than just add another on-ramp.