pawaPay Secures Kenya Payment Service Provider Licence Through Quidexplus

African payments provider pawaPay has announced that its Kenyan entity, Quidexplus Kenya Limited, has received authorisation from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to operate as a Payment Service Provider (PSP).

The approval permits Quidexplus to provide payment gateway services, including the receipt, processing and settlement of merchant payments.

Although pawaPay announced the development on 16 September 2026, the CBK's official directory records the licence as having been granted on 17 June 2026.

The authorisation strengthens pawaPay's local regulatory position in Kenya, where its payment infrastructure already supports merchant transactions across several sectors, including betting.

Quidexplus Receives Payment Gateway Authorisation

The Central Bank of Kenya's approval allows Quidexplus Kenya Limited to provide payment gateway services within the scope of its authorisation.

The licence covers the receipt, processing and settlement of merchant payments, establishing the company's regulatory status as a payment services provider in Kenya.

The authorisation applies specifically to Quidexplus Kenya Limited rather than automatically extending to other entities within pawaPay's wider African network.

pawaPay operates through a market-specific structure, using local companies to provide payment services in individual jurisdictions while allowing merchants to access its infrastructure through a single integration.

The company's published payment provider information identifies 21 African entities, including businesses operating in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Senegal and South Africa.

The approach allows pawaPay to maintain a centralised technical offering while working through separate local entities subject to the regulatory requirements of their respective markets.

Kenya Betting Payments Already Supported

Although the CBK authorisation is not specific to gambling, pawaPay already provides payment infrastructure for betting transactions in Kenya.

The company's published betting payment information identifies Kenya as a supported market and includes M-PESA among its available payment methods. Airtel betting payments are also separately identified within its system status information.

pawaPay distinguishes between several betting-related transaction types, including web deposits, USSD deposits and payouts.

These services allow betting operators to process different payment flows through the provider's infrastructure, subject to applicable regulatory and commercial requirements.

The new authorisation establishes the regulatory status of pawaPay's Kenyan payment entity but does not itself grant permission to operate a betting business.

Gambling operators must obtain the relevant gaming approvals separately, with payment service authorisation and gambling licensing governed by different regulatory requirements.

pawaPay Maintains Restrictions On Unlicensed Gambling

pawaPay's business restrictions distinguish between authorised and unauthorised gambling activity.

The company's prohibited-business rules exclude unlicensed gambling, betting and lottery operators. Licensed gambling businesses are not subject to the same blanket prohibition, although access to payment services remains dependent on applicable laws and the provider's requirements.

The distinction is relevant to Kenya, where pawaPay already supports betting-specific payment flows alongside its broader merchant payment services.

The Quidexplus approval adds a locally authorised payment gateway entity to pawaPay's African infrastructure, supporting the company's strategy of providing merchants with access to multiple markets through a unified integration.

The company has not disclosed any new commercial agreements, transaction volumes or revenue projections associated with the Kenyan authorisation.