Payaza, a Nigerian-founded fintech, says it has received full approval from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to operate as a payments business in the country. The claim comes from chief executive Seyi Ebenezer, as reported by Condia on 13 November 2026. We have not located a CBK notice or a Payaza press release confirming the approval, and the report does not say when it was granted.
What the company says
Condia reports that the approval came a year after Payaza secured a remittance licence in Kenya. The company expects the payments licence to give it direct market access without relying on commercial or sponsor banks. Condia also reports that the licence could improve Payaza’s unit economics, strengthen its credibility with institutional partners and investors, and support its broader East African expansion.
Licences in other markets
Condia lists a Payment Systems Operator (PSO) licence in Ghana in February 2025, a PSO licence in Uganda and a Canadian Payment Service Provider (PSP) licence in February 2026, and a US Money Services Business licence around July 2024. NextWallet reported on 6 October 2026 that Payaza had secured licences in Pakistan, China and Bangladesh.
Company background
Condia says Ebenezer launched Payaza in March 2022 with co-founders Tochukwu Ekwonna, Philips Akinyele, Tolulope Atomori and Shola Asiru. By July 2024 the company had rebranded with a focus on global expansion and on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Its StartupList Africa profile describes the company as operating, founded in 2022, with a base in Lagos, Nigeria.
What is not yet confirmed
The CBK approval is a regulatory authorisation. The reports do not describe a funding round, and no capital raised is reported. They also do not state the approval date, the licence category or the legal entity that holds the approval.
The most recent CBK directory of authorised payment service providers we could inspect is dated 10 August 2026, which predates the reported approval. It does not list Payaza, so it neither confirms nor rules out the approval.
Sources
- Justina Salami, Condia, 'Central Bank of Kenya grants Payaza payments license' (published 13 November 2026)
- Central Bank of Kenya, Directory of Authorized Payment Service Providers (PSPs) as at August 10, 2026
- NextWallet Desk, 'Payaza Secures Licences in Pakistan, China and Bangladesh to Expand Asian Payments Operations' (6 October 2026)
TopicsPayaza Kenya Central Bank of Kenya Payments African Startups
