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Zoho Corp. is expanding its bet on Kenya’s fast-growing small business sector through a partnership with the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), offering software credits, training and digital skills programs as competition intensifies for Africa’s millions of underserved enterprises.
The privately held software company said on Wednesday that eligible KNCCI members will receive KSh65,000 ($500) in Zoho Wallet credits to access its portfolio of more than 60 cloud-based business applications, ranging from accounting and payroll to customer relationship management and workplace collaboration.
The announcement, made at the company’s Zoholics Kenya 2026 conference in Nairobi, underscores Zoho’s growing focus on East Africa as businesses increasingly adopt cloud software and artificial intelligence to improve productivity and reduce operating costs.
Zoho said its Kenya revenue grew 55% over the past year, making the country one of its fastest-growing markets globally. Growth has been driven by demand from sectors including financial services, manufacturing, insurance, telecommunications and information technology.
The company serves more than 150 million users worldwide, operates over 60 business applications, and employs more than 19,000 people across its global operations.
“Kenya continues to be one of our fastest-growing markets as more businesses embrace digital transformation to improve resilience and competitiveness,” said Veerakumar Natarajan, Country Head of Zoho Kenya. He added that artificial intelligence is accelerating demand for unified software platforms that help businesses streamline operations.
Beyond subsidized software access, the partnership includes onboarding support, implementation assistance, workshops and digital skills training aimed at helping SMEs successfully adopt business technology. Zoho and KNCCI will also run joint marketing campaigns and educational programs to encourage digital adoption across Kenya.
The initiative comes as Kenyan SMEs face mounting pressure to digitize operations while keeping technology costs under control. SMEs account for the overwhelming majority of businesses in Kenya and contribute significantly to employment, yet many still rely on manual processes for finance, inventory and customer management.
“Through this partnership, our members will gain access not only to world-class business technology but also the training and support needed to successfully adopt and leverage these solutions,” said Dr. James Mwaura, Chairman of KNCCI Nairobi Chapter.
Zoho’s flagship products in Kenya include Zoho One, an integrated suite of business applications; Workplace for email and collaboration; CRM Plus and Zoho CRM for customer management; and Zoho Books for accounting.
The partnership reflects a broader trend among enterprise software providers competing to capture Africa’s rapidly digitizing SME market by combining affordable cloud services with training, financing incentives and local partnerships. For Zoho, whose business model emphasizes privately funded, long-term expansion over aggressive acquisitions, Kenya is increasingly emerging as a strategic gateway into East Africa’s digital economy.