--- title: 'VoIP Phone System for Small Businesses in Kenya: Setup and Costs' description: >- How a VoIP phone system works for a Kenyan small business, what you need (number, app, internet), what it costs in KES and how to set one up today. summary: >- A VoIP phone system runs your business line over the internet. In Kenya you need a number, an app or IP phone and a steady connection. Here is the setup and the real cost. date: 2026-11-05T00:00:00.000Z type: blog --- ## Summary A VoIP phone system carries your business calls over the internet instead of a copper line or a single SIM. For a Kenyan small business it needs three things: a business phone number, an app or IP desk phone for each person, and a steady internet connection (office fibre or mobile data). With Sautikit you claim a Kenyan number for KES 500 a month, staff answer on the free SautiKit Phone app on the web, Android, Windows or iOS and macOS (beta), inbound calls are free and outbound calls cost KES 3.00 a minute billed per second. There is no hardware to buy, no installer and no licence, and the line is live in minutes. ## How a VoIP phone system works When a customer dials your business number, the call reaches your VoIP provider's switch. The switch applies your rules (ring these people, play this menu, send it to voicemail after 6 pm) and delivers the call over the internet to whichever devices are signed in to that number. When a staff member calls out, the same happens in reverse and the customer sees your business number, not a personal SIM. That gives a small business three things a SIM card cannot: - **One number, many people.** The line rings on several phones and laptops at once, and the first person to answer takes it. - **The number stays with the business.** When a staff member leaves, you remove their device. Customers keep calling the same number. - **A record of every call.** Call history, recordings and missed calls are in one console, not scattered across personal phones. ## What you need ### 1. A business phone number On Sautikit you choose a Kenyan number in the console and it is live in seconds, at KES 500 a month with no setup fee. See [business numbers](/numbers). ### 2. Something to answer on You have two choices, and you can mix them: - **The SautiKit Phone app**, free on the [web](https://phone.sautikit.com), [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sautikit.phone) and [Windows](https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9mxvnklz324k), with iOS and macOS in beta on [TestFlight](https://testflight.apple.com/join/sYaGFBDv). Each device connects with a six-digit code from the console. No SIP settings to type. - **An IP desk phone or softphone you already own.** Any phone or app that registers with a SIP username and password works: Grandstream, Yealink, MicroSIP, Zoiper and others. Step-by-step guides: [Grandstream](/developers/guides/connect-grandstream-phone), [MicroSIP](/developers/guides/microsip-kenya-number), [Zoiper](/developers/guides/zoiper-kenya-number). ### 3. A steady connection Voice needs a small, steady connection rather than a fast one. Office fibre is ideal; mobile data works for staff on the move. Because the app runs on phones, a fibre outage at the office does not take your business line down: staff keep answering on mobile data. ## What it costs | Item | Sautikit | | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Business number | **KES 500/month**, no setup fee | | Inbound calls | **Free** | | Outbound calls | **KES 3.00/min**, billed per second | | Apps | Free | | Desk phones | Optional; use your own SIP phone | | Call recording | 100 MB free (kept 24 hours); paid tiers from KES 599/month | | AI agent (optional) | KES 4.00/min, metered per second | | Licence or installer | None | | Payment | Prepaid KES wallet, M-Pesa or card | **Example: a five-person shop.** One shared number costs KES 6,000 a year. All inbound customer calls are free. If the team makes 500 minutes of outbound calls a month, that is KES 1,500 a month, and because billing is per second a 20-second call costs KES 1.00. There is nothing else to buy. Compare that with a traditional IP phone system: a PBX box or software licence (3CX starts at $300 a year for 8 simultaneous calls on Basic, as listed on 3cx.com on 5 November 2026), handsets, a SIP trunk contract, numbers and an installer. Details in [PBX systems in Kenya](/blog/pbx-system-kenya). ## Set it up in four steps 1. **Create a workspace** at [sautikit.com](/) and top up the wallet with M-Pesa. 2. **Claim a number.** It is live in seconds. 3. **Add devices.** Open the number, go to **SIP & Devices**, choose **+ Add device**, and either take the six-digit code to SautiKit Phone or copy the SIP details into a desk phone. 4. **Set the rules.** Choose who rings and in what order, add business hours, voicemail, a call queue or call recording. Most small businesses are taking calls on the new number within the hour. ## Features a small business actually uses - **Ring several people** in order or all together ([forwarding and voicemail](/developers/guides/forward-calls-and-voicemail)). - **Business hours** per number, with different routing after hours. - **Call queue** with hold music when everyone is busy. - **Voicemail** when nobody answers. - **Call recording** for training and disputes ([call recording in Kenya](/blog/call-recording-kenya)). - **AI receptionist** that answers every call or only after hours and passes a summary to your team ([AI agents](/ai-agents)). - **Conference calls** for team check-ins ([conference calls](/blog/conference-call-kenya)). ## When you need more than a phone system If you are running a support or sales team with an agent inbox, tickets and reports, look at [Helloduty](https://helloduty.com), which runs on Sautikit voice. ## FAQ ### What is a VoIP phone system? A phone system that carries calls over the internet. Calls to your business number are delivered to apps and IP phones signed in to that number, wherever they are, instead of to one SIM or a copper line. ### How much does a VoIP phone cost in Kenya? On Sautikit the phone itself can be free: the SautiKit Phone app runs on the phones and laptops you already have. The number is KES 500 a month, inbound calls are free and outbound calls are KES 3.00 a minute billed per second. A physical IP desk phone is optional and is bought from any electronics shop. ### Do I need internet for VoIP calls? Yes, but not much. A steady connection matters more than speed. Office fibre or mobile data both work, and staff on the app can switch to mobile data if the office connection drops. ### Can several staff share one business number? Yes. One number can have several devices connected, and an incoming call rings on all of them. The first person to answer takes the call. ### Is VoIP legal for businesses in Kenya? Yes. Sautikit numbers are Kenyan numbers that customers call like any other, at their normal rates. For the regulatory background, see [voice regulation in Kenya](/blog/voice-regulation-kenya). **[Claim a number →](/numbers)**  ·  **[Get the apps →](/phone)**  ·  **[See pricing →](/pricing)**