SBICKENX11-character variant (head office):
SBICKENXXXXWhether funds come from abroad or another local account, here's how to receive — and what it costs.
Sender uses SBICKENX + your account number.
Sender uses Wise, LemFi, or Sendwave to deposit into your account.
Receive into M-Pesa, then move to Stanbic Kenya if needed.
Kenyan banks use a bank code plus branch code; PesaLink moves funds bank-to-bank without going through M-Pesa.
Money in a Kenyan bank account can move to M-Pesa via Paybill or the bank app, and from M-Pesa back to the bank, usually instantly.
Rail operator: ipsl.co.ke
When you actually need a SWIFT code: only for receiving money from another country. PesaLink handles every domestic kenya bank-to-bank, bank-to-wallet, and wallet-to-bank transfer at near-instant speed. If the sender is in the same country, SWIFT isn't involved at all — they just need your bank codes + branch codes or phone number.
For inbound international flows, PesaLink also matters: most modern remittance operators (Wise, Sendwave, LemFi, WorldRemit, TapTap Send) terminate their payouts via this rail rather than via correspondent SWIFT relationships. That's how they deliver in minutes instead of days — and why their all-in cost can be a fraction of a classic SWIFT wire.
Cash pickup is the fourth node in the receiving graph: Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria, RemitOne. These remain expensive but are the only option in some last-mile situations (no bank account, no wallet, urgent cash need). Mobile money cash-out via an agent network is increasingly the cheaper alternative — see our country mobile-money fee page for current cash-out rates.
One practical tip: if you're expecting a payment from abroad, ask the sender to choose the destination based on speed and amount. Small frequent payments below US$1,000 are almost always cheaper via a remittance app to your wallet. Mid-size payments (US$1,000–10,000) work well to your bank account via the same apps. Genuinely large payments (above US$50,000) are usually only practical via a SWIFT wire, even though they're the most expensive per dollar at that band.
| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| SBIC | KE | NX |
| Stanbic Kenya | KE (Kenya) | Nairobi |
An 11-character variant like SBICKENXXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'SBICKENX001') refer to specific branches.
Check any SWIFT/BIC code is correctly formatted before a transfer.
vs KES (Kenyan Shilling)
Stanbic Bank Kenya is part of South Africa's Standard Bank Group via its subsidiary Stanbic Holdings Plc, which is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The Kenya operation traces its history to 1958 and now runs around 30 branches alongside a strong corporate-banking and treasury franchise. The bank's SWIFT code SBICKENX uses the Standard Bank Group's standard SBIC bank-code prefix, mirroring Stanbic IBTC Nigeria (SBICNGLX), Stanbic Ghana (SBICGHAC), and Stanbic Tanzania (SBICTZTX). For corporate flows, this allows efficient intra-group routing across the Standard Bank correspondent network. Long form: SBICKENXXXX.
Stanbic Centre, 16 Westlands Road, Nairobi
Map centred on Nairobi. Click "View on OpenStreetMap" below for precise location.
Stanbic Bank Kenya — Kenya's commercial bank, one of the country's oldest institutions (founded 1958) — has the SWIFT/BIC code SBICKENX. The 8-character base BIC SBICKENX targets the Nairobi head office; the 11-character variant SBICKENXXXX names that same head office explicitly. You only need it for receiving an INTERNATIONAL wire (from another country). For transfers from another Kenya account, you just use your account number plus the domestic rail (PesaLink).
Yes. Operators like WorldRemit, Sendwave, Afriex, and Flutterwave Send let a sender abroad deposit directly into M-Pesa without going through your Stanbic Kenya account. It's usually faster and cheaper than a SWIFT wire for smaller amounts. You can then move funds to Stanbic Kenya via PesaLink if needed.
Via PesaLink, which interconnects banks and wallets in real time. From the Stanbic Kenya app: add M-Pesa as a beneficiary with your phone number, and the transfer arrives instantly. See our Kenya mobile money fees page for the exact cost.
For amounts under ~US$5,000, a remittance app (Wise, LemFi, Sendwave) depositing direct to your Stanbic Kenya account is almost always cheaper than a classic SWIFT wire — lower fees and a rate closer to mid-market. For larger amounts, compare SWIFT vs app on our Kenya inbound transfer comparison.
Yes. Stanbic Kenya is connected to PesaLink, which enables near-instant transfers to other Kenya banks and to mobile money wallets (M-Pesa, Airtel Money, T-Kash). This is the infrastructure remittance apps use behind the scenes to deliver in real time.
Source: Stanbic Kenya's official website + Wise SWIFT directory. Last verified: 2026-06-04. SWIFT codes change rarely but always confirm with your bank before initiating a transfer. Educational only — not financial advice.