Airtel Money Launches a Dedicated Business Wallet to Challenge M-Pesa in Kenya

Bizna Wallet lets small traders separate personal and business funds within a single Airtel account, arriving with a 50% cashback promotion aimed squarely at Safaricom's Pochi la Biashara users.

Airtel Money has launched Bizna Wallet in Kenya, a dedicated business account that lets small traders separate personal and business funds without opening a second mobile money account, accessible by dialing *334# or through the Airtel app. Acting managing director Michael Bonke said the product came directly from conversations with entrepreneurs who struggled to track business cash flow when it was mixed in with personal spending on the same wallet — a common complaint among Kenya's large population of informal traders. Beyond fund separation, Bizna Wallet gives users detailed business transaction records and the ability to receive payments across different mobile money networks, not just Airtel's own. The launch comes bundled with an enhanced cashback offer — 50% back on eligible transactions above KES 101 — clearly aimed at winning over users of Safaricom's dominant Pochi la Biashara product. The launch is Airtel's most direct shot yet at the small-business segment of Kenya's mobile money market, where Safaricom's M-Pesa still commands roughly 89% share — a dominance Airtel has struggled to dent despite years of competing on network coverage and pricing.