Top 8 Referral Programmes in Kenya to Make You Easy Money

‍EDITOR'S NOTE: This article is a part of our Money254 Partner series and is produced in partnership with Zenka Digital Kenya. For more on Money254’s editorial policy, read here.

If you are looking for an easy way to make extra money online in Kenya, then you have landed in the right article.

Yes, you heard that right. Easy. 

This is because we are going to be exploring some of the top referral programmes in Kenya. And all you need to do to make some money via referral programmes is share a code or link with friends and anyone else you can reach who  could be interested in the product in question. 

Once the person you have shared the referral code or link with makes a purchase, registers for a service or successfully completes the defined task, you get paid a percentage of the transaction value, a fixed amount or at the very least you get a discount on your next purchase. 

Pretty straightforward, right? 

It works in a near-similar way to a traditional sales job only that you are not working full time for the company. Actually, you spend a very insignificant amount of your time on any given day managing your referral side hustle. 

For example, every time a sales agent at a bank finds a customer, say for a loan, they get paid a commission for bringing this customer to the bank; either a fixed fee or a percentage of the loan amount the customer borrows.

Now, for the purposes of making money easily through online referral programmes, you identify products that are frequently bought or are in demand, sign up for the referral programme and start sending codes or links to your contacts via WhatsApp and/or social media and get paid passively every time someone uses your code or link. 

In a previous article, we wrote in detail about how to set up a successful referral side hustle for yourself, what to avoid, and a little more on how referral programmes work. Click on this link to learn more about referral programmes in-depth. 

Today, in this second article in a 3-part series on referral programmes in Kenya, we introduce you to 8 referral programmes in Kenya that you can join and earn even up to 20% of every sale all while putting in minimal effort.

Unlike other compilations you might find on the internet, we have taken time to list only referral programmes that actually accept Kenyan participants and have products you can actually refer to Kenyan friends, family or followers. Many are also paying directly to your mobile money wallet.

Read Also: How You Can Make Money Through Referral Programmes in Kenya

Let’s dive in. 

1. Rental Agency Referral Programmes

Everybody needs housing, right? Recent estimates show that as high as 78.7% of Kenya’s urban population lives in rental housing. And how often do people move houses? In fast-paced cities like Nairobi it could be every year or so which creates a very promising opportunity for rental-focused referral programmes. Here, we will highlight two out of the many referral programmes of this type in Kenya. 

Eunimark Agencies

Eurnimark is a local rental agency that handles the sale of properties as well as management of rental houses. 

It pays between Ksh500 to Ksh3,000 after successfully referring a tenant or home buyer - depending on the  transactional value. To get started, create an account on their website after which you get a link that you can use to refer your friends, relatives etc. who are house hunting.

Aquantum Real Estate

Aquantum is a rental agency based along Thika Road. It primarily manages rental properties in the Nairobi metropolitan region. 

Its referral programme offers 10% commission on the first month’s rent. Their approach, however, is not online-based as are most of the referral programmes in this list. 

You simply identify a friend, relative, or acquaintance who is looking for a house. You then share and recommend some of the houses managed by Aquantum and if they go ahead and sign a tenancy agreement, you are paid 10% of their first month’s rent. 

For instance, if you convince your friend to rent a one-bedroom unit going for Ksh20,000 a month, you are entitled to Ksh2,000 as your commission. 

2. E-Commerce Referral Programmes

It's 2023 and Kenyans have never been more comfortable buying stuff online. From clothes, shoes, personal care items to even groceries and large appliances, online commerce marketplaces offer a huge opportunity to make passive income recommending items to friends, family, acquaintances and social media contacts. 
Here, we highlight four referral programmes of this kind. 

Jumia

A well recognised e-commerce brand in Kenya, Jumia’s referral programme that was rebranded as KOL enables eligible members to earn up to 11% in commissions on sales generated though your referral links.

Since people already know the brand, it can be an easy one to begin with. You will need to navigate through Jumia’s extensive inventory of products and identify those that relate most to the audience you have access to.

Note that this referral programme has some eligibility restrictions such as having a minimum of 5,000 social media fans. 

Kilimall

One of Jumia’s biggest competitors in Kenya, Kilimall offers members of its referral programme commissions of between 2% and 8% on sales completed depending on the product category. 

Unaku.co.ke

Unaku is an ecommerce platform which sells common retail products such as shoes, clothes, bags etc. - on its website and mobile app. Their referral programme sign up process is as straightforward as others in this category. 

You stand to earn a commission of 5% of the value of the purchase completed using your referral link.   

Supercommodities.co.ke

Supercommodities.co.ke is an e-commerce website that deals with the sale of genuine Contigo products. 

The Mombasa Road-based retailer has a referral programme that also pays 5% commission on all purchases completed by people who use your referral link. 

You are able to track your earnings on your account’s dashboard - with payments being made monthly between the 28th - 31st of every month - via M-Pesa. 

3. Shulefiti

Shulefiti is a digital learning solutions provider for learners in primary, secondary and higher education in Kenya. 

The platform charges Ksh450 per month, which guarantees access to thousands of examination and revision materials. Their referral programme requires you to first register, after which you get a special referral code that is unique to you. 

You then share the code with your network, friends and family, asking them to subscribe to Shulefiti.co.ke. 

The company pays you a 20% cash commission for anyone you successfully refer. Since the subscription fee is Ksh450, this translates to Ksh90 for every successful referral. 

The payments are made daily on M-Pesa and there is no limit to the number of people you can refer. 

4. Zenka 

When you need quick cash to deal with an emergency or take advantage of a money-making opportunity, which is the fastest way to go? 

For many, digital loans are a hassle-free and convenient option. And Zenka stands as one of the most popular and reputable digital lenders in Kenya today.

With over 5 million downloads in Kenya alone to date, and a 4.2-star rating on the Google Play Store, it may be easy to see why joining the Zenka Referral programme can be a smart addition to your passive income side hustle. 

Zenka has one of the most competitive personal finance referral programmes that allows you to earn passively by recommending the app to your friends, family and networks. 

The Zenka referral programme starts with you downloading the Zenka app on the Google Play Store. You then register for an account by providing basic KYC information, including your name, phone number, ID, etc. 

Once you have an account, you can start referring your friends, relatives, and your network in general. This is done through a special link that is able to track how many people download the app, register, borrow and repay a Zenka loan. 
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For each person who creates an account through your link, you earn a Ksh10 commission. For instance, if you have 100 people in your contacts and 50 of them download the Zenka Digital Loan app and register, you will have easily earned yourself Ksh500. 

Once your friends have registered and proceeded to borrow a loan with Zenka, you earn Ksh200 cash bonus when they repay their first loan. As such, you also earn by encouraging your contacts to repay their loans on time - which also helps them increase their loan limits. 

From the example highlighted above, if 30 out of 50 referees proceed to take a loan and repay, you will earn Ksh6,000. 

Since the bonus only applies to the first loan, building on some of the tactics we shared in a previous article, you can increase your daily, weekly or monthly earnings from the Zenka Digital referral programme by sharing your referral link with as many people as possible. 

Here you can simply capitalise on your social media contacts and also, do not underestimate the potential of the WhatsApp status. 

Read Also: How You Can Make Money Through Referral Programmes in Kenya

As mentioned above, adding Zenka to your referral side hustle plan may be a no-brainer to most given its popularity, speed of disbursement and fair interest rates when compared to digital lenders in its category. 
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This can make your referral work easier as you only need to share information on the perks of borrowing from Zenka to get your family, friends and networks interested in using Zenka for their short-term quick cash borrowing needs. 

5. Hostpinnacle

Hostpinnacle is an ICT solutions provider in Kenya that offers, among others, website hosting and bulk sms services. 

To join their affiliate programme, you start by creating an account on their website. You then generate your unique referral link that you share with your network - including friends, relatives, WhatsApp contacts, etc. 

Since the products are a little more technical, it is advisable to have some product knowledge and share with those who show interest. 

For every successful purchase, you get 5% of the transaction value for web-hosting packages, and 50 cents for every SMS bought through their bulk sms platform. 

6. Moko

Moko is a Kenyan retail company that sells home furniture and related items including mattresses, beds, sofas, and TV stands. 

The company has a referral programme, although it does not rely on referral links like most of the referral programmes highlighted here. 

After purchasing an item on the Moko shop (which is at least worth Ksh6,500), you are given a special code which you can share with potential customers of their product who are in your circles. 

If your friend, relative, social media fan or acquaintance decides to purchase a given item, they will be asked about how they got to know about Moko at which point they should indicate they were referred by you and share your code with the company. 

If the item bought is at least Ksh6,500, you will qualify for a Ksh300 cash back which is paid directly to your M-Pesa mobile wallet. 

7. Twiva.co.ke

Twiva.co.ke describes itself as an “influencer-powered social commerce platform”. Essentially, it brings together “influencers” - both small and big - where they are connected to marketers and paid to promote various products and services.  

If you are active on social media, you probably have come across a blogger or celebrity endorsing products or services from a certain brand. However, with Twiva.co.ke there are no restrictions on who can become an influencer. 

In fact Twiva says it matches businesses with thousands of “nano and micro-influencers.” This means anyone with social media presence and for “influencers'', at least 100 followers on any platform. 

Once you have an account, you can share a trackable link with your audience - for which you will earn 5% to 10% commission for each sale. 

8. Uhasibu Accounting System

Uhasibu is a business solutions provider. The company specialises in the sale of cloud-based accounting systems - targeted at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and accountants. 

To successfully refer buyers, you need to understand the product well - given its technical nature. Further, the products are paid on a subscription basis (starting from Ksh1,000 per month. 

To earn through their referral programme, you start by signing up on their website. You are then assigned a special ID or code which you share with potential buyers.

For every customer who purchases the product through your referral code, you get their first three monthly maintenance fees (Ksh1,000 per month).

In this programme, you may need to go beyond just sharing the link and doing a little more of educating the people you refer on the technical aspects of the product. 

This can simply be in the form of a blog, a detailed social media post or infographics bearing your referral code. 

WRAPPING UP

Referral programmes offer a unique opportunity to earn money by passing word around about a good product. With rising unemployment and the high cost of living crisis, referral programmes can potentially turn around your finances if you put in the initial work. 

If you have bought in on the potential of referral programmes, the sky is literally your limit as to how much you can be earning daily, weekly or monthly.

Most of the referral programmes on this list, including the Zenka Referral Programme, do not have a limit on the number of people you can help refer and earn from.  

So, what is it going to be? Try at least one of the referral programmes listed above or are you going to sit by and watch others earn an extra paycheck with very little time investment? 

What’s more? You get to keep your day job!