Emirates has introduced a first-of-its-kind split-payment solution for travellers in Kenya through its longstanding partnership with Cellulant, in a move aimed at making international air travel more accessible to mobile-first customers.
The new capability, powered by Tingg, Cellulant’s payment gateway, is now live on Emirates’ website in Kenya and is expected to expand to other African markets in the coming months. The feature allows customers to combine multiple payment methods, including mobile money, mobile banking and local credit or debit cards, when booking flights. Travellers can also make an initial payment online and complete up to four additional instalments within 24 hours.
The initiative addresses a longstanding challenge in Africa’s digital payments landscape. While mobile money is the dominant payment method across the continent, with more than one billion registered wallets and transaction volumes exceeding $1 trillion annually, per-transaction and daily limits often make it difficult for customers to complete high-value purchases such as international flight tickets. The split-payment functionality enables customers to remain within provider-imposed limits while successfully finalising their bookings.
Michael Muriuki, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cellulant, said extending mobile money convenience to global travel payments is essential in a market where hundreds of millions rely on the channel. He noted that through Tingg, Emirates customers can complete high-value transactions seamlessly without transaction caps becoming a barrier.
Christophe Leloup, Emirates’ Country Manager for Kenya, described the country as one of the most dynamic markets on the airline’s global network. He said the introduction of split payments enhances flexibility and convenience in the booking process, enabling more customers to access the airline’s products and services.
In Kenya, Emirates already supports payments through platforms such as M-Pesa and Safaricom, as well as mobile banking transfers via partner banks through Cellulant. Across Africa, the partnership facilitates various payment and financing options in 14 markets, including South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
The rollout of the split-payment solution coincides with Emirates’ plans to introduce a third daily flight on the Dubai–Nairobi route from March 1, 2026, increasing capacity on a corridor that has recorded strong demand. The airline has recently maintained high seat factors on its double daily services between Dubai and Nairobi, reflecting growing travel demand. By pairing expanded flight capacity with locally aligned payment solutions, Emirates and Cellulant aim to ensure that rising demand is matched with greater affordability and accessibility.
