The fastest way to lose money on an online order in Kenya is to quote a flat shipping rate without doing the maths. You ship a parcel from Nairobi to Bungoma, the courier charges you KSh 850, you charged the customer KSh 200, and the entire profit on a KSh 1,800 product evaporates before you've even paid for the packaging tape. This piece compares the couriers Kenyan online sellers actually use, with realistic 2026 pricing, so you can pick the right ones and price shipping properly.
If you're earlier in the picture, our complete guide to starting an online business in Kenya covers payments, registration, and customer acquisition. This one focuses purely on getting parcels from your hands to your customer's hands.
How to actually pick a courier
Stop looking for "the best courier." There isn't one. You'll use 2 or 3 different ones, picked per parcel based on three things:
Distance. Same-city, same-county, or upcountry — different couriers win each.
Value of the parcel. Below KSh 2,000, optimise for cheap. KSh 5,000 to 30,000, optimise for tracking and reliability. Above KSh 30,000, you want signature confirmation and insurance.
Customer preference. Some customers will not pay extra for doorstep delivery and will happily collect from a Pickup Mtaani agent. Others will refuse to walk anywhere. Ask at checkout.
G4S Courier
The reliable workhorse. G4S has offices in every major town, parcels can be sent next-day countrywide, and the tracking is genuinely accurate. Their network includes scheduled inter-county runs, so a parcel dropped off in Nairobi by 4pm typically reaches Mombasa, Kisumu, or Eldoret by the next morning.
Realistic 2026 prices per parcel:
- Nairobi to Nairobi: KSh 250 to 500 depending on size.
- Nairobi to county capital: KSh 350 to 700.
- County to county (non-Nairobi): KSh 400 to 800.
- Same-day Nairobi: not their strong suit; use Sendy.
Use G4S when: the parcel value is above KSh 5,000, the customer is upcountry and prefers branch pickup, you want scheduled overnight delivery you can plan around.
Skip G4S when: the parcel is small and low-value (Pickup Mtaani is half the price), you need same-day Nairobi (Sendy is faster).
Sendy
The dispatch app for Nairobi. Sendy uses boda riders for small parcels and vans for larger or longer trips. The app shows live driver location, you book in seconds, and the driver picks up from your door. For same-day Nairobi delivery, nothing beats it.
Sendy also runs inter-county routes, but G4S and Wells Fargo usually beat Sendy on price for upcountry runs.
Realistic 2026 prices per parcel:
- Same-day Nairobi by boda (small parcel): KSh 200 to 450.
- Same-day Nairobi by van (medium/large): KSh 350 to 900.
- Inter-county van: KSh 600 to 1,500 depending on distance and size.
Use Sendy when: same-day Nairobi delivery, larger items that don't fit in a courier package, urgent moves where speed beats cost.
Skip Sendy when: the destination is upcountry and not urgent (cheaper alternatives exist), small low-value parcels going to far counties.
Wells Fargo Courier
The classic county-to-county overnight option. Wells Fargo has branches in almost every Kenyan town, including small ones. Customer collects at the destination branch the next morning. Old-school, paper-receipts vibe in some branches, but the network coverage is unmatched.
Realistic 2026 prices per parcel:
- County to county standard parcel: KSh 250 to 600.
- Heavy parcels (over 5kg): KSh 500 to 1,200.
- Doorstep delivery (where available): adds KSh 150 to 300 to base price.
Use Wells Fargo when: upcountry deliveries to small towns, customer is fine with branch pickup, parcel value is moderate (KSh 1,000 to 20,000).
Skip Wells Fargo when: customer demands doorstep, parcel is high-value (their tracking is less granular than G4S), urgent same-day moves.
Pickup Mtaani
The cheapest option in the market. Pickup Mtaani has agents (kiosks, salons, phone shops) in every Nairobi estate and an expanding presence in Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Eldoret. The customer collects from the agent. No last-mile leg means no last-mile cost.
Realistic 2026 prices per parcel:
- Within Nairobi (agent to agent): KSh 100 to 200.
- Nairobi to other major town agent: KSh 200 to 400.
- Doorstep delivery: not their primary model; some agents will deliver locally for a small extra fee.
Use Pickup Mtaani when: low-value parcels (under KSh 3,000), customer lives in a dense estate near an agent, you want to offer a "free shipping" option without losing your shirt.
Skip Pickup Mtaani when: customer is in a remote area with no nearby agent, customer specifically wants doorstep, parcel value is high enough that agent storage is a risk.
Speed Air and SGR cargo
For valuable, fragile, or time-critical items going long distance, airline cargo (Skyward Express, Safarilink Cargo, JamboJet Cargo) and the SGR passenger train cargo service move parcels in hours rather than overnight. Same-day Nairobi to Mombasa or Kisumu is realistic.
Realistic 2026 prices per parcel:
- SGR cargo Nairobi to Mombasa: KSh 400 to 1,000.
- Airline cargo Nairobi to Kisumu/Eldoret: KSh 600 to 1,800.
Use Speed Air or SGR cargo when: the parcel is worth KSh 20,000+, fragile electronics, or the customer needs it the same day across counties.
Skip when: the parcel value doesn't justify the cost (don't ship a KSh 1,200 lipstick by airline cargo).
Self-delivery via boda
Hire a regular boda guy in your neighbourhood, pay him KSh 150 to 300 per drop, and you keep the courier margin. This works at low volumes and lets you build relationships with customers who get the same friendly rider every time.
It collapses around 10 to 15 deliveries a day. At that volume, scheduling, returns, and confirmations start eating your time. Your shop also stops growing because you become the bottleneck. Use self-delivery for the first month or two, then graduate to a real courier.
The comparison at a glance
| Courier | Best for | Speed | Cost band (KSh) | Tracking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G4S | Upcountry, value KSh 5K+ | Next-day | 250 to 800 | Strong |
| Sendy | Same-day Nairobi | Same-day | 200 to 1,500 | Live in-app |
| Wells Fargo | Upcountry, branch pickup | Next-day | 250 to 1,200 | Reference number |
| Pickup Mtaani | Low-value, agent pickup | 1 to 2 days | 100 to 400 | SMS notifications |
| Airline / SGR cargo | High-value, urgent inter-county | Same-day | 400 to 1,800 | Reference + airline tracking |
| Self-delivery boda | Local, low volume | Same-day | 150 to 300 | You |
A shipping policy that doesn't lose money
The cleanest shipping policy for a small Kenyan online shop in 2026:
- Flat KSh 300 within Nairobi. Covers most boda and Pickup Mtaani options. You sometimes overcharge by KSh 100, sometimes break even.
- Flat KSh 500 to county capitals. Covers G4S and Wells Fargo overnight to Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru.
- "Quote on order" for remote areas. Don't promise a flat rate for Mandera, Lamu, or Lodwar. Tell the customer "we'll WhatsApp you a delivery quote within an hour."
- Free pickup option from Nairobi. If you have a stockroom or office, offer customer pickup for KSh 0. About 10 to 15% of Nairobi customers will take it.
Don't promise "free shipping countrywide" unless you've baked it into the product price (which means raising your prices by KSh 200 to 500 per item). Free shipping is a marketing claim, not an accounting choice.
How to set this up in your shop
Most modern Kenyan shop platforms let you configure flat-rate shipping zones in the dashboard. On MyDuka, that's Settings → Shipping, where you set rates per zone (Nairobi, Coast, Western, Rift Valley, Eastern, Northern). The customer's delivery address picks the right zone at checkout. If a customer is in a zone you flagged "quote on order," your shop accepts the order without charging shipping and you message them with a quote before dispatch.
The single most important setting is to enable email or WhatsApp notifications when an order arrives, so you don't miss a parcel that needs a manual quote.
FAQ
What's the cheapest way to ship a parcel within Nairobi?
Pickup Mtaani agent-to-agent runs from KSh 100 to 200 if your customer is near one of their agents. For doorstep, Sendy by boda is KSh 200 to 450 depending on distance. Below KSh 100, you're either using a personal boda guy at a discount or self-delivering.
Which courier should I use for upcountry deliveries?
For most parcels, Wells Fargo. They have branches in small towns where G4S and Sendy don't reach, and customers are used to collecting at the branch. Use G4S when the destination is a county capital and the customer wants tracking, and use airline cargo when the parcel is high-value.
How do I handle returns?
Make returns the customer's logistical responsibility, not yours. Tell them to ship back via the same courier (or a cheaper one) to your address, and refund only after the parcel arrives in good condition. For high-value items, arrange a pickup yourself via Sendy or G4S to avoid the parcel disappearing in transit.
Should I offer cash on delivery?
Yes for orders under KSh 3,000 in Nairobi, where it lifts conversion noticeably. Failure rates run 15 to 20% (customer not home, changes mind), so pad your COD prices by 10 to 15% to cover the bounces. Charge a non-refundable KSh 200 commitment fee at order placement to filter out tyre-kickers.
How do I price shipping for international customers?
Quote individually. Most customers shipping out of Kenya use DHL, EMS (Posta Kenya's express service), or Aramex. Rates start around KSh 2,500 for a small parcel to East Africa and climb sharply for transcontinental shipments. Don't promise "international shipping available" until you've quoted at least one real shipment to the destination.
Can I get a discount with a courier if I ship a lot?
Yes. Once you're shipping 50+ parcels a month with G4S, Sendy, or Wells Fargo, ask their business sales team for a corporate account. Discounts of 10 to 25% are normal at that volume, plus monthly invoicing instead of pay-per-parcel. Bring your BRS certificate and KRA PIN.
Your next step
Pick two couriers based on your typical parcel mix: one for same-day Nairobi (probably Sendy) and one for upcountry (G4S or Wells Fargo). Open accounts with both this week. Test each with a real parcel to a friend. Once you're confident with their pickup and tracking, set up flat shipping zones in your shop platform and start charging real, non-loss-making shipping rates. Read the pillar guide next if you haven't done payments and registration yet.