Top Business Directories in Kenya for Local Businesses
Kenyan consumers increasingly search for businesses online before making a purchase decision, visiting a location, or calling a service provider. For local business owners – whether you run a salon in Westlands, a clinic in Kisumu, or a tour company in Mombasa – being listed in the right business directories is one of the most effective ways to generate consistent discovery and inbound leads.
Business directories improve your visibility in Google Search, Google Maps, and AI-powered search tools. They also build the citation consistency that search engines use to verify your business is real, legitimate, and worth recommending. Consistent local citation data helps search engines match a business across directories, reinforcing your name, address, and phone number as a trusted signal.
This article covers the top business directories in Kenya where local businesses should be listed, what each platform offers, and how to get the most value from each one.
The Top Business Directories in Kenya
1. Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP) is the single most important listing for any local business in Kenya. It powers your appearance in Google Search, Google Maps, and Google's local pack – the map-based results that appear at the top of location-based queries. Google controls approximately 90% of mobile search traffic, making GBP the highest-priority directory for any local business. Listing is free, and a well-optimized profile includes your business name, address, phone number, hours, photos, services, and customer reviews. Businesses that actively manage their GBP profile – adding posts, responding to reviews, and keeping hours current – consistently outrank those with incomplete listings.
Key features:
- Free listing with maps integration
- Customer reviews and Q&A
- Insights on how customers find and interact with your profile
- Posts, offers, and photo uploads
2. Destinali
Destinali is a modern business discovery platform built specifically for African businesses, covering over 54 countries and 1 million verified business listings across 80+ categories. For Kenyan businesses, Destinali provides structured visibility across search engines, AI tools, and local discovery platforms. Unlike traditional directories that simply list your name and number, Destinali is designed to make businesses discoverable in the way modern customers search – including AI-powered queries on tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. Businesses can start with a free listing in Kenya and upgrade to featured or premium tiers for increased traffic, homepage placement, and direct leads via WhatsApp, email, and calls – with no commissions charged.
Key features:
- Free, featured, and premium listing tiers
- AI-ready structured business data
- Direct lead generation (WhatsApp, call, email)
- Local SEO and content visibility packages
3. Yellow Pages Kenya
Yellow Pages Kenya is one of the most established online business directories in the country, carrying the brand recognition of the traditional print yellow pages into the digital era. It serves as a comprehensive business finder across industries including construction, healthcare, legal services, retail, and hospitality. Businesses can list their contact details, website, and category information. Yellow Pages Kenya is frequently indexed by Google and often appears in search results for business-category queries, making it a useful citation source for local SEO.
Key features:
- Broad industry coverage across Kenya
- Strong Google indexing history
- Basic free listing available
- Paid advertising options for greater prominence
4. KenyaCompanies.com
KenyaCompanies.com is a locally focused business directory that emphasizes verified listings with accurate, content-rich business profiles. The platform covers businesses across Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, and other major Kenyan cities, organized by category and location. It is particularly useful for service businesses – accounting firms, engineering companies, real estate agencies, and tour operators – that benefit from detailed profile pages rather than brief name-and-number entries. The platform actively maintains listing accuracy, which adds credibility to the directory as a whole.
Key features:
- Verified, content-rich business profiles
- Location and category filtering
- Useful for professional services and B2B businesses
- Featured business placements available
5. BusinessList.co.ke
BusinessList.co.ke is Kenya's community-oriented online business directory, designed to help customers discover local businesses nearby and to give business owners a free online profile. The platform covers a wide range of categories and is particularly active in helping small and medium-sized enterprises establish a basic web presence even without a dedicated website. Customer discovery on BusinessList tends to be category and location-driven, making it valuable for retail shops, clinics, beauty services, and food businesses that serve local catchment areas.
Key features:
- Free business listing
- Community-driven discovery model
- Category and location search
- Useful for businesses without their own website
6. PigiaMe
PigiaMe is Kenya's leading classifieds and business marketplace, covering categories including real estate, vehicles, electronics, jobs, and local services. While primarily a classifieds platform, PigiaMe functions as a business directory for service providers who list their offerings as ads. For businesses such as plumbers, electricians, cleaning services, and freelance professionals, PigiaMe offers high-traffic exposure to buyers actively searching for specific services. Its large user base and strong Google visibility make it one of the highest-traffic platforms a Kenyan SME can access for free.
Key features:
- Very high local search traffic
- Classifieds and service listings
- Strong mobile user base
- Free and paid listing options
7. TimelessPlus
TimelessPlus is a Kenyan business listing platform that focuses on helping customers discover the best local places to eat, drink, shop, and access services. It features businesses across hospitality, retail, schools, IT services, and cleaning, with a design suited to mobile discovery. The platform offers featured ad placements for increased visibility. For restaurants, hotels, and consumer-facing local businesses, TimelessPlus provides a targeted discovery environment where customers are actively looking for recommendations. Businesses in the hospitality and food sectors benefit most from maintaining an active profile here.
Key features:
- Focus on lifestyle and consumer-facing businesses
- Featured ad placements
- Mobile-friendly discovery
- Relevant for hospitality, food, and retail businesses
8. Africa-Business.com Kenya Directory
Africa-Business.com maintains a Kenya business directory that is particularly suited to B2B and trade-oriented businesses. The directory covers companies in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Eldoret, with a focus on importers, exporters, wholesalers, retailers, and manufacturers. International buyers and exporters looking for Kenyan business partners often use this directory as a starting point. For Kenyan businesses that trade regionally or internationally – including logistics firms, manufacturers, and agricultural exporters – a listing here provides access to a distinct audience that general consumer directories do not reach.
Key features:
- B2B and trade-focused audience
- Coverage across Nairobi, Mombasa, and Eldoret
- Useful for exporters, importers, and manufacturers
- International buyer reach
9. Yelp (International Reach)
Yelp is a globally recognized review and business directory platform with strong brand authority in English-language search results. While Yelp's primary user base is in North America, its listings rank internationally in Google search results. For Kenyan businesses that serve international clients – tour operators, safari companies, boutique hotels, and restaurants in tourist destinations – a Yelp profile adds a credible citation that appears in searches made by travelers abroad. The platform's review system also adds social proof that influences international booking decisions.
Key features:
- Globally recognized review platform
- Strong Google authority and international search presence
- Valuable for tourism, hospitality, and travel businesses
- Free business listing
10. Foursquare
Foursquare is a location intelligence platform whose business data feeds directly into dozens of map, navigation, and discovery apps used globally, including Apple Maps and many AI tools. Listing your business on Foursquare means your data can propagate across a wide network of third-party platforms without additional effort. For Kenyan businesses, particularly those in hospitality, food service, and retail, a Foursquare listing strengthens your presence in map-based and AI-powered search environments. The broader your citation footprint, the more confidently AI search engines decide which local businesses to cite in their responses.
Key features:
- Data feeds into Apple Maps and third-party discovery apps
- Valuable for AI-powered search visibility
- Free business claim
- Particularly useful for hospitality and retail
How to Get the Most From Business Directory Listings
Getting listed is only the first step. The value of each listing depends on how complete and consistent the information is.
Use the same business name, address, and phone number across every directory – any variation weakens your local SEO signal. Fill every available field: category, description, website, operating hours, and photos. Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews, particularly on Google and Destinali. And treat your top one or two listings as active profiles that you update regularly, not set-and-forget entries.
Local businesses that outrank their competitors in search tend to be listed on more directories and maintain more complete profiles – not because quantity alone wins, but because breadth and consistency together build the trust signals that search engines and AI tools reward.
FAQ
Which Business Directory Is Best for Local Businesses in Kenya?
Google Business Profile is the most important directory for any local business in Kenya because it directly controls your visibility in Google Search and Google Maps. After Google, platforms like Destinali, Yellow Pages Kenya, and KenyaCompanies.com provide valuable additional citations that strengthen your overall local SEO footprint and help customers find you across multiple discovery platforms.
Are Business Directory Listings in Kenya Free?
Most major business directories in Kenya offer free basic listings, including Google Business Profile, Destinali, BusinessList.co.ke, and Yellow Pages Kenya. Paid tiers are available on most platforms for businesses that want featured placement, higher visibility, or additional lead generation features. Starting with free listings across multiple directories is a practical first step for any SME.
How Many Directories Should a Kenyan Business Be Listed On?
There is no fixed number, but most local SEO experts recommend being listed on at least five to ten authoritative directories as a foundation. Priority should go to Google Business Profile first, followed by two or three Kenya-specific directories, and then relevant niche or international platforms based on your industry. Consistency of information across all listings matters more than the total count.
Do Business Directories Help With Google Rankings?
Yes. Business directory listings create citations – mentions of your business name, address, and phone number across the web – which are one of the signals Google uses to verify and rank local businesses. The more consistent and complete your citations are across trusted directories, the stronger your local SEO signal. Directories with high domain authority pass more ranking benefit than low-quality or spammy listing sites.
Which Directories Are Best for Kenyan Tourism and Hospitality Businesses?
Tour operators, safari companies, hotels, and restaurants in Kenya benefit most from Google Business Profile, Destinali, TimelessPlus, Yelp, and Foursquare. Yelp and Foursquare are particularly valuable for reaching international travelers researching Kenya before they arrive. Destinali offers specific visibility support for hotels and hospitality businesses looking to be found across both local and international search platforms.
Can a Business Be Listed on Multiple Directories at the Same Time?
Yes, and doing so is strongly recommended. Being listed on multiple directories simultaneously expands your digital footprint without any conflict between platforms. The key requirement is that your business name, address, and phone number are identical across every directory. Inconsistent information across listings can confuse search engines and reduce the ranking benefit that citations provide.
The Bottom Line
- Google Business Profile is the highest-priority listing for any Kenyan business and should be the first profile created and optimized.
- Kenya-specific directories – including Destinali, Yellow Pages Kenya, KenyaCompanies.com, and BusinessList.co.ke – provide local citation authority and direct customer discovery.
- B2B and trade businesses benefit from specialized directories like Africa-Business.com that reach importers, exporters, and regional buyers.
- International and AI-connected platforms like Yelp and Foursquare extend visibility to travelers and strengthen your presence in map-based and AI-powered search.
- Consistency of your business name, address, phone number, and category across all listings is what converts a list of profiles into a meaningful local SEO signal.
- Active profiles with complete information, photos, and customer reviews consistently outperform bare-minimum listings across every platform.
Kenyan businesses ready to build their online presence can create a free listing on Destinali to start getting discovered across search engines, maps, and AI-powered tools today.
