A cultural view of loan defaults in Kenya
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A cultural view of loan defaults in Kenya

Executive summary  From 2019 to 2024, Kenya experienced a steady rise in personal and consumer loan defaults, driven not just by economic challenges, but deeply rooted cultural behaviors, social expectations, and shifting attitudes towards debt. While formal banks, microfinance institutions, and mobile lenders expanded access to credit, repayment struggles mirrored longstanding cultural and communal dynamics. […]

What Chamas and SACCOs can teach lenders about group lending
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What Chamas and SACCOs can teach lenders about group lending

Group finance has a reach that many fintechs still underestimate. In Kenya, SACCOs that operate under regulation reported 6.84 million members in 2023, a number that shows how much formal group lending has grown. Beyond that, informal savings groups called chamas are even more widespread. Estimates suggest there are around 300,000 active chamas, each managing […]

Frequently asked questions about alternative credit scoring
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Frequently asked questions about alternative credit scoring

The traditional credit score is a relic of an era that didn’t understand how modern people actually move money. If you’ve ever wondered how your utility bills, airtime purchases, or even your social media footprint could help you get a loan, you’re looking at alternative credit scoring. We’re answering the real questions about how this data is collected, whether it’s actually secure, and why it’s finally making "unbanked" a term of the past.