10 Popular API's used in Kenya

Kenyan businesses are constantly looking ways to stay ahead of the game and dominate the marketplace and Application programming Interfaces provide the best opportunity to help them achieve their goals .

What is an API?

API is the acronym for an application Programming Interface. It is a way for two applications to interact with each other using a set of definitions and protocols. For example anytime you are using an application such as Facebook and send an instant message you are using an API.

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How Apis work

To best describe API architecture , one must become acquainted with a client and server relationship. A client is the application that sends a request , while the server is the application responding to the request. In a example such as Facebook ,the Facebook database is the server while the mobile app is the client.

Types of business APIs

1. Internal API's- these types of API'S focus on the internal operations of an organization.
2. Public API's -They are openly available to the public.
3. Partner APIs - They support a variety of integrations with select customers and partners.

However in order to be fully open to the idea of integrating APIs into their Kenyan business they may need to know of the Apis that already in use in Kenya.

10 Popular APIs used in Kenya

These are the 10 most popular API's that developers use in Kenya.

1. Mpesa API

M-Pesa enables any business to integrate mobile payments into their business processes. Our blog on integrating M-Pesa gives a detailed break down on how to sign up and get started on M-Pesa. The M-Pesa API via Daraja portal is very easy to set up and will save any business thousands of hours in manual reconciliation. The M-Pesa API offers the following capabilities:

1. B2C: Bulk send money
2. Express checkout: Receive money by making a request to the customers phone number via a USSD pop-up
3. C2B: Receive money by asking the customers to key in your details. More complex than the express checkout.
4. Bill manager: Request for money by creating an M-Pesa bill
5. B2B: Send money to other businesses. Available only to whitelisted paybill numbers.

2. Africa's Talking

If you are considering communicating with your customers via SMS, then think Africa's Talking. Africa's Talking has a footprint in 15 African countries from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa. Using platforms like HelloDuty businesses can integrate SMS into their business flows. Other capabilities available on the Africa's Talking API include:

1. Airtime disbursement
2. USSD: HelloDuty then allows you to configure complex USSD user journeys.
3. Voice: HelloDuty then allows you to build a Call Center system on this capability.

3. Flutterwave

Flutterwave is Africa's Stripe, offering an easy and secure way to incorporate card payments into any website or application. Developers can use their documentation to build complex processes or generate payment links on the go. Flutterwave processes payments across Africa, including Nigeria and Kenya, and works with major players like Jumia. Other capabilities found on Flutterwave include:

1. Disha: For indie creators
2. Swap: To swap, foreign currency to local currency
3. Direct charge
4. Recurring charge

4. Smile ID (Formerly Smile Identity)

Solving Africa's lack of verifiable digital identity is Smile ID. Smile ID provides comprehensive identity verification solutions tailored for African markets. Their services include KYC (Know Your Customer) compliance, biometric authentication, document verification, and user data validation. They offer these services in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, and many more.

Leveraging machine learning and facial recognition technology, Smile ID ensures secure and efficient onboarding for businesses, reducing fraud and streamlining processes. Their platform integrates seamlessly with various applications, supporting cross-border operations and enhancing customer trust and security.

Smile ID offers identity verification services across 52 African countries, providing coverage for over 231 types of IDs. They support various forms of identification including national ID cards, passports, driver's licenses, and voter IDs, among others.

In Kenya, Smile ID verifies:

1. National ID Card (IPRS): The primary form of identification for Kenyan citizens.
2. Passport: Both for domestic verification and international use.
3. Driver’s License: Often used as a secondary form of identification.
4. Alien ID: For non-citizens residing in Kenya.
5. KRA Pin: For both business and individuals

5. Kopokopo

While Kopokopo might seem like yet another payment service, KopoKopo is further from that. KopoKopo provides a platform facilitating mobile payments and financial services for small and medium-sized businesses. Its easy to use user interface stands in contrast to the complex and challenging M-Pesa daraja and G2 interfaces.

More importantly, KopoKopo offers cash advances to its businesses, making it a reliable partner over M-Pesa.

6. EcoBank

Ecobank offers a comprehensive suite of API services designed to facilitate seamless integration of their financial services into various business processes.

If you are a Fintech, then EcoBank is the API solution you have been looking for. This platform supports innovative solutions and new business opportunities, especially through their fintech sandbox environment, which enables developers to test and deploy financial solutions efficiently.

Popular neo-banks and fintechs run on Ecobank's rails including FlexPay in Kenya. Furthermore, the annual Ecobank Fintech Challenge provides an opportunity for startups to raise funds and get African recognition and expansion.

7. Equity Bank

Similar to Ecobank, Equity Bank's API, known as JengaAPI, provides a wide range of financial services tailored to businesses and developers across several African countries. The services include:

1. Payment Solutions: Supports mobile money, bank transfers, card payments, and international remittances. This facilitates seamless transactions within and across borders.
2. Account Services: Allows for real-time account management, including balance checks, mini-statements, and account inquiries.
3. Airtime and Bill Payments: Enables the purchase of airtime and the payment of utility bills through multiple channels, integrating over 5,000 paybills.
4. Regulatory Compliance: Offers KYC, AML, and CDD services to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
5. Business Tools: Provides APIs for merchant payments, loan advances, and instant settlements, enhancing financial management for businesses.

8. Utilities API (KPLC / Kenya Water / DSTV)

Utilities in Kenya, run on tokens. KPLC — Kenya Power & Lighting Company — has provided APIs to allow third parties to set up marketplaces for the resell of these tokens. These APIs can be accessed using platforms like Tanda in Kenya. These third party providers may charge an extra transaction fee and therefore erode any discounts afforded. However, getting direct access might be more challenging than is necessary.

9. WhatsApp API

While not an African API, WhatsApp is more popular in Africa than anywhere else, more so in Kenya where it enjoys a 99% penetration. This makes it a very important communication channel among Kenyans. Businesses can use the WhatsApp API for several purposes e.g:

1. Marketing: Using the various WhatsApp templates that allow for Images and other media, businesses can create rich, contextual marketing messages to their customers.
2. Transactional: Businesses can send receipts via WhatsApp. Others like Airlines can build WhatsApp bots that allow customers to checkin or reschedule flights based on their current booking.
3. Verification: Businesses can trust WhatsApp for verification. With the current strong identity verification on WhatsApp, businesses can trust WhatsApp for OTP verification.

10. HelloDuty API

While not an API in the true definition, HelloDuty offers the ability for any business to expose an authenticated and unauthenticated API endpoint. The business can then use HelloDuty flows to configure what data is exposed based on user identity or configuration. Getting started on HelloDuty is simple as signing up here.

Conclusion

Payment API's are the most popular API's. In fact, other API's like Smile ID exist for purposes of serving these payment APIs and fintechs. Other notable mentions include, Kwara - for Microfinance Banks and SACCOS, Pezesha - for credit scoring and lending, Pesapal, payment similar to Flutterwave, IPay and PesaLink etc.

APIs like KPLC and Kenya Water or DSTV are found behind bureaucratic approvals.

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