After what feels like forever, Stanbic Bank Kenya is finally catching up with the times. The bank has now taken a big step forward — or at least half a step — by beginning to tease support for Airtel Money in its mobile banking app. Yes, that means Stanbic customers will soon be able to send money not just to Safaricom’s M-PESA, but also to Airtel users.
For years, Stanbic’s mobile app has been quite happy living in a one-network world, comfortably supporting M-PESA while ignoring the steadily growing presence of Airtel Money. But it seems that the tides of mobile money are finally forcing some change.
In the latest update to the app, I’ve noticed that Airtel now appears as an option under the “Mobile Payments” section. A promising sign, right? Well, yes and no.
Because as it stands, this new Airtel option is more cosmetic than functional. While the button is there — shiny and new — it doesn’t actually work just yet. Attempts to send money to an Airtel number result in a disappointing error message that simply says, “Something went wrong.” (Which is basically fintech for “Oops, we’re not quite there yet.”)
Stanbic has confirmed that the integration is still in progress. The bank says it’s actively working on enabling transfers to Airtel numbers from within the app, but hasn’t given any timelines for when the feature will be fully operational. So for now, Airtel users are still waiting at the door, invitation in hand, hoping the app will let them in soon.
Why now?
Let’s be honest — this should have happened a long time ago. But there’s a likely reason Stanbic is finally budging: Airtel Money has been quietly gaining ground in Kenya’s mobile money scene. While M-PESA still rules the kingdom, Airtel Money has been making strategic moves, slashing transaction fees and expanding its services, especially in a region where affordability is a key concern.
That growth has not gone unnoticed. For a bank like Stanbic, whose clients span across the economic spectrum, being able to serve Airtel customers is becoming less of a “nice to have” and more of a “must-have.”
So while the feature isn’t live yet, the writing is on the wall — and now, finally, it’s also in the app.
