Visa Study Reveals That 89% of Kenyans Use AI in Shopping, With Trust Driving Checkout Behaviour
Visa has published its annual Stay Secure study in Kenya, highlighting how artificial intelligence and social commerce are reshaping digital shopping behaviour amid growing concerns over fraud and trust.
According to the Wakefield Research-conducted survey, 89% of Kenyan consumers have used AI tools during their shopping journeys, primarily for price comparisons, gift discovery and product reviews.
The study shows strong optimism around AI, with 91% of respondents saying the technology is making online shopping faster and more convenient. AI is also increasingly influencing discovery, with 61% saying they find new brands or retailers while shopping online.
Despite this, consumer confidence drops when it comes to automated transactions, with only 29% willing to trust AI agents to complete checkout processes.
Perceptions of AI in fraud prevention are more positive, with 44% saying it has improved scam detection and 82% expecting it to play a critical role in future online protection.
The report also underscores the rapid growth of social commerce, where 85% of consumers have made purchases via social media platforms. However, scam cases remain high, with 37% reporting financial fraud in the past 12 months, most of which occurred on social platforms.
Additionally, the study highlights rising concern about children’s online safety, noting that 81% of respondents say children struggle to recognize scams, while 62% have observed children falling victim to fraud during online gaming or shopping.
This concern is intensifying as children gain increased exposure to digital commerce, with 37% of Kenyan parents reporting that their children have access to mobile payment apps or digital wallets.
Consumers also expect institutions to take the lead in combating online fraud. Nearly half (48%) say government authorities and regulators should bear primary responsibility, followed by payment providers at 36% and banks and financial institutions at 29%. Only 12% believe consumers themselves should be primarily responsible.
However, there is a strong demand for more proactive protection measures. About 67% of respondents say they would feel more secure receiving real-time fraud alerts from their bank or payment app, while 30% say familiar and trusted checkout logos would increase their confidence.
Visa’s Stay Secure study indicates that while online shopping and social commerce continue to expand, fraud and scams are also becoming more sophisticated.
“Visa’s Stay Secure study shows that while online shopping and social commerce continue to grow, scams and fraud are evolving too. Consumers see fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but they expect financial institutions, governments, and payment providers to take the lead, underscoring the importance of secure-by-design payment systems,” said Irene Auma, Head of Risk, Sub-Saharan Africa, Visa.
“As commerce moves toward more agentic, AI-powered experiences, the study shows that consumers are embracing the convenience AI can bring to shopping but remain cautious when it comes to AI completing purchases on their behalf. With Visa Intelligent Commerce, we are helping enable the next era of commerce built on trust, control and confidence.” She added.
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