WapiPay expands its African to Caribbean payment network
If an African business needs to send money to a company in Jamaica, it has to deal with more than just changing one currency into another.
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If an African business needs to send money to a company in Jamaica, it has to deal with more than just changing one currency into another. The payment also has to move through financial systems in two different regions.
Kenyan fintech WapiPay is trying to make that process easier by adding Jamaica to its cross-border payments network.
The company has partnered with JN Money Services, a Jamaican money transfer company, to handle payments between Africa and Jamaica.
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If an African business needs to send money to a company in Jamaica, it has to deal with more than currency conversion. The payment also has to move through financial systems in two regions. Kenyan fintech WapiPay is adding Jamaica to its cross-border payments network. The company has partnered with JN Money Services, a Jamaican money transfer company. The partnership will handle payments between Africa and Jamaica. WapiPay will process the transactions on its platform. JN Money will handle payouts in Jamaica. The service is expected to launch fully in December 2026. This follows approval from the Bank of Jamaica for WapiPay to operate in the country.
How the Jamaica service will work
Once the service goes live, people and businesses using WapiPay will be able to send money to Jamaica. Recipients can collect the money through JN Money's network. They can also have it deposited into a bank account. JN Money has more than 90 locations across Jamaica. This gives WapiPay an existing network for cash payouts. It also means the company does not have to build one from scratch. The first stage is mainly about moving money between the two markets. The companies also expect businesses to use the service for payments.
“For businesses, the useful part will be how much the new payment route costs and how quickly the money arrives.”
WapiPay is adding another route outside Africa
WapiPay has built its business around cross-border payments. It helps customers move money between African countries and markets outside the continent. The company has focused on payment corridors between Africa and Asia. It has also expanded into markets such as the UK and US. Jamaica gives WapiPay a new corridor into the Caribbean. The two companies also want to support business payments. This could allow companies in Africa and Jamaica to pay suppliers and other businesses across the two regions.
What this could mean for SMEs
For a small business, making an international payment can be more complicated. There are different currencies, bank requirements and payment fees to deal with. Smaller companies may also have fewer options. This can happen when their bank does not have a direct payment route into the country they are dealing with. A service such as WapiPay gives businesses another option. An African company buying from a Jamaican supplier could use the new route to make the payment. The local payout network could also make it easier for the supplier to receive the money. But the cost and speed of the payments will still matter. If fees are high or transactions take too long, businesses may stick with their existing banking arrangements.
Jamaica is the first Caribbean market
WapiPay is entering Jamaica first. It is not launching across several Caribbean markets at the same time. This gives the company a chance to build transaction volumes. It can also see how much demand there is for payments between Africa and Jamaica. If enough individuals and businesses use the corridor, WapiPay could add more Caribbean markets later. For now, the change is simple: Jamaica is being added to WapiPay's payment network, with JN Money handling the local side of the transactions.
