Kenya Airways, Absa Bank Kenya and Visa have launched the Asante Global Card, a co branded travel credit card that converts everyday spending into flight rewards, lounge access and priority travel status. The companies described it as the first product of its kind in the Kenyan market, a claim that reflects the companies’ own marketing rather than an independently verified ranking.
The card links Kenya Airways’ route network, Absa’s local banking infrastructure and Visa’s global payments acceptance under a single product, launched under the campaign name “Your Life Rewarded.”
It targets professionals, frequent travellers and premium banking customers. Cardholders earn Asante Rewards Points on their spending, redeemable across the Kenya Airways network. The card name combines Asante, the Swahili word for gratitude, with Global, a reference to its use across the worldwide Visa network.
Points accrue on all card transactions, including everyday purchases such as groceries, fuel and dining, as well as travel bookings and international payments.
The card is available in two tiers, Signature and Platinum. New Signature cardholders receive a welcome bonus of 10,000 Asante Rewards Points, while Platinum cardholders receive 5,000 points.
“We are seeing strong demand from Kenyan consumers for products that reward how they already spend and travel, and that demand is being driven by a generation that is earning more, travelling more and expecting more from the cards in their wallets,” said John Njoroge, Country Manager for Kenya at Visa. “The Asante Global Card responds to that directly, and we are pleased to bring our technology and global network to a card built for this market.”
“At Kenya Airways, we are constantly designing solutions that make travel more rewarding and accessible for our customers. This co branded card is a natural extension of that commitment, allowing customers to earn travel rewards through their everyday spending,” said Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways. “As an airline that has connected Africa and the world for decades, we are proud to offer a product that turns daily transactions into opportunities for flight awards, point conversions and exclusive benefits across our network and partner airlines.”
“This launch is a powerful reflection of our purpose of Empowering Africa’s Tomorrow, together, one story at a time. Every customer has a unique journey and personal aspirations that extend beyond borders,” said Moses Muthui, Consumer Banking Director at Absa Bank Kenya.
“Through innovative partnerships such as this, we are helping to unlock opportunities, connect people to the experiences that matter most, and enable them to write the next chapter of their story wherever in the world it takes them.”
Cardholders also receive complimentary airport lounge access, travel and medical insurance, additional baggage allowance and SkyPriority services worldwide, along with curated experiences such as golf tournaments and wine tastings, and local and international discounts on shopping, dining and lifestyle partners.
The Asante Global Card becomes available to eligible customers from 1 September. Applications open online at asante.kenya-airways.com, where Absa handles credit approval. Once an application is approved and the card activated, cardholders begin earning Asante Rewards Points on everyday spending. Details of the benefits, eligibility criteria and the Asante Rewards Points programme are available at the same address.
The launch continues a pattern both partner companies have followed through the year. Absa has spent recent months promoting cashless spending through its Play Your Cards Right campaign, while Kenya Airways has leaned on bank partnerships to widen its rewards base since returning to profit and resuming trading on the Nairobi Securities Exchange.
Awards Add Weight to the Pitch
The card launch follows a week in which Kenya Airways picked up four titles at the 2026 World Travel Awards Africa Gala in Zanzibar, including Africa’s Leading Airline 2026 and Africa’s Leading Airline Lounge 2026 for its Pride Lounge in Nairobi.
We are proud to be named winners in four categories at the 2026 World Travel Awards:
• Africa’s Leading Airline 2026
• Africa’s Leading Airline – Economy Class 2026
• Africa’s Leading Airline Lounge – Pride Lounge
• Africa’s Leading Inflight Magazine – MsafiriA big thank… pic.twitter.com/fo2siBqEZB
— Official Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) August 29, 2026
Acting Chief Executive Officer Capt. George Kamal linked the wins to customer trust rather than the accolades alone.
“These awards are an important recognition of the commitment of our people and the confidence placed in Kenya Airways by our customers and industry partners,” he said. “We are deeply grateful to the travellers and travel professionals whose confidence has made this recognition possible.”
Neither company has published the redemption value of Asante Rewards Points. Khusoko has previously compared credit card and digital lending options available in Kenya.
