From news anchor dreams to building a fintech business

Like many children with big dreams, Collins Kathuli once imagined himself becoming a news anchor. Using his mother’s phone, he would record himself “presenting the news” before editing the videos on the family computer.

Little did he know that the childhood pastime would eventually lay the foundation for his future career.

“In the process of learning to edit videos, I started researching how to upload them to a domain,” he says, adding that his curiosity led him to build his first website to host his video content. In high school, Kathuli developed his programming skills through computer studies and began experimenting with technology projects.

“I took part in school competitions and participated in science congresses, where I submitted technology projects. I did my first project in Form Three,” he says.

The project was an airtime vending platform that he developed with a group of friends over three months. Kathuli is largely self-taught and says Google and YouTube were useful resources as he continued developing his programming skills.

Before completing high school, together with his partners, they had spent two years saving part of their pocket money, raising about Sh15,000, which they used to develop their project. He also turned to social media to market the application, attracting 50 downloads on the day of its launch.

The 25-year-old later studied software engineering at KCA University and is now the founder and chief executive of Kyanda Africa, a fintech venture and a payment gateway for individuals and businesses. By the time he founded Kyanda in February 2020, Kathuli was seeking to solve a problem for those close to him, but the initial response soon convinced him that the idea could be developed into a wider business.

The company’s platform, available in Kenya and South Africa, integrates mobile money, cards and bank transfers. Its wider platform includes an agency network of more than 1,800 retailers and an application programming interface (API) for corporates. The platform supports a range of payment and transfer services and enables businesses and institutions to self-onboard and access Kyanda’s payment gateway.

“Our business model is primarily B2B and B2B2C, where businesses, merchants and financial institutions use Kyanda’s API infrastructure, agent network and payment technology to power financial services for their customers,” he explains.

He notes that the company has partnered with banks, telecommunications companies, utility providers and financial institutions to deliver what he describes as a 360-degree approach to financial services.

“Rather than operating solely as a consumer-facing wallet, Kyanda focuses on building the infrastructure that enables organisations to move money, collect payments and offer financial services more efficiently. Through our APIs, merchant tools and nationwide agent network, we make financial services more accessible and affordable,” he says.

After growing significantly in Kenya, Kathuli began looking beyond the local market. His first visit to South Africa came in November 2021, when he attended a summit in Johannesburg through the Kenya-South Africa Chamber of Commerce. The trip exposed him to a market where card payments are more prevalent and mobile wallets less established, prompting him to explore the potential for expansion beyond Kenya.

“We attended a summit in Johannesburg, and, through the networking sessions, a few people became interested in what I was doing. They saw that our payment solution could work in the country, so we went back, conducted our research and began developing the product for that market,” he says.

The company subsequently launched there, marking what he describes as one of its major milestones.

Kyanda has continued to expand its operations, processing more than 50 million transactions to date across wallet services, merchant collections, airtime purchases, bill payments and agent-based financial services.

The growth, however, has been accompanied by challenges around building market visibility, securing the capital required to sustain operations and navigating the regulatory demands of the fintech sector.

“When we began, marketing was very hard for us, and also finding the capital to keep the platform running. Regulations in the fintech space were also tough,” he says.

He says the government could do more to support technology entrepreneurs through incubation hubs and accelerator programmes.

“The technology space is very wide, and I think the best way the government could support us is by setting up incubation hubs and accelerator programmes that support technology entrepreneurs,” he says, adding that there are many people with good ideas who cannot take them further because they lack strategic advice, technical support or funding.

Kathuli says the company has secured more than $250,000 (Sh35M) in funding over the years, but remains open to strategic investors as it looks to expand its operations.

Kenya’s payments sector has expanded over the years, attracting an increasing number of fintech start-ups as established global players deepen their presence in the market. Payments giant Visa has also established a regional innovation studio in the country as it explores the future of payments.

“I work with young people who believe in the same vision, and that gives me the greatest motivation. It encourages me to think outside the box and come up with fresh ideas. That is one thing that I like about working in the technology space,” he says.

Recently, the company expanded its financial inclusion efforts through Oliq Africa, a subsidiary focused on digitising savings groups, commonly known as Chamas, as well as SACCOs and other community-based financial institutions. The idea emerged from challenges Kathuli observed while working closely with grassroots communities. Many savings groups still rely on handwritten notebooks to manage contributions, loans and repayments, creating inefficiencies, disputes and limited transparency. In some cases, groups continue to keep cash savings at home, limiting security and access to formal financial services.

Oliq provides digital tools that help groups manage records, automate savings and lending processes, and build credible financial histories that can unlock access to broader financial products.

To date, the platform has onboarded more than 500 savings groups across Kenya and supports over 8 SACCOs through its software infrastructure, and has recently received an extra $75,000 (Sh10M) in grant funding to expand its initiative.

“We realised that millions of people already participate in community finance, but many of those systems are still managed manually. Our goal is to digitise those processes and create pathways to greater transparency, security and financial inclusion,” he says.

His entrepreneurial work has been recognised locally and internationally through programmes such as the Anzisha Fellowship, START Fellowship, GSEA Kenya and Sigma Squared Society. He also mentors emerging entrepreneurs and serves as a board member and adviser to start-ups. Kathuli encourages aspiring technology entrepreneurs to start early, stay committed to their ideas and remain patient as they develop their businesses.

“There are a lot of opportunities out there. When you start a business, you have to be committed, patient and believe in yourself and your team. Success does not come overnight,” he says.

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