How to sell digital products in Kenya: platforms, payments and pricing
A grounded comparison of Selar, Paystack storefronts, Payhip and Gumroad for Kenyan sellers, plus pricing that survives M-Pesa fees.
Choosing a platform you can actually get paid on
The deciding factor for Kenyan sellers is rarely features — it is payout. Confirm mobile money support, settlement time and the fee on the payment method your buyers actually use before you build a storefront.
This isn't a fringe concern — Mastercard's SME Confidence Index found 91% of Kenyan SMEs have already adopted digital payments, with mobile money alone accounting for 41% of transaction volume, ahead of card and online combined for most sellers.
- Selar — strong African payment coverage and simple digital delivery.
- Payhip — clean checkout and EU VAT handling if you sell abroad.
- Gumroad — global reach, but check payout options for your bank.
- A Paystack or Flutterwave storefront — most control, most setup work.
Pricing that survives fees
Model your net, not your headline. Subtract platform fee, payment fee and any FX spread, then round the remainder to a number that reads deliberate. A price of KES 2,500 that nets you KES 2,300 is a real decision; KES 2,499 is a habit borrowed from supermarkets.
Launch sequence for a first product
- 1Pre-sell to 10 people
If ten people you already know will not buy, the positioning needs work.
- 2Ship a narrow version
One clear outcome beats a broad course nobody finishes.
- 3Document delivery
License, download and support path written down before launch day.
Notes from the founder on building AI-native businesses from Africa: what actually converts, what wastes money, and what we are building next.
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