By DAVID HERBLINGMore by this AuthorEquity Bank #ticker:EQTY has recruited 29,000 merchants to accept retail payments via Equitel mobile cash platform, taking the battle for Kenya’s lucrative segment to pioneer Safaricom’s #ticker:SCOM M-Pesa. “We now control a third of retail payments in Kenya. Equity’s mobile money platform has 1.7 million subscribers compared to M-Pesa’s 22.03 million customers, based on their filings for the quarter to March 2017. Other mobile money retail platforms in Kenya are Lipa Sasa Na MobiKash, airtel Money’s ‘buy goods’ module while Tangaza Pesa is piloting MyDuka. Telcos have been wooing merchants to take up mobile payments by offering them real-time settlement of deals, with such cash-flow history making enterprises eligible for loans.

Source: Daily Nation August 24, 2017 18:45 UTC