CBK Guidelines on Salary Deductions and Advances
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) regulates financial institutions, including banks that provide payroll-based lending products. Its oversight extends to salary loans and advances, ensuring compliance with both prudential standards and consumer protection rules. While CBK’s direct guidelines on salary deductions and advances are embedded within wider banking regulations, they closely align with the Employment […]
The History of Salary Advances in Kenya: From Payroll Deductions to Mobile Banking
In Kenya, where more than 80% of the population depends on informal or semi-formal employment, Salary Advances have long served as a financial bridge for workers struggling with short-term cash needs. Whether it’s rent, school fees, or medical emergencies, many households have relied on these advances to get by before payday. A salary advance is […]
Hidden Fees in Loan Apps: A Silent Trap for Kenyan Borrowers
As of 2025, more than a quarter of Kenyans, about 32%, have borrowed through digital lending platforms. For many, especially urban dwellers aged 30–34, these apps provide a quick solution when emergencies like rent, school fees, or medical bills strike. Most loan apps in Kenya promise instant access to credit without paperwork or guarantors. But […]
How Loan Apps Work in Kenya: Limits, Repayments, and Risks
Loan Apps in Kenya have become one of the most popular ways for individuals to access credit, especially for those excluded from formal banking. With over 80.8% smartphone penetration and M-Pesa’s dominance as a mobile money platform, digital lenders like Tala, Branch, Zenka, and KCB M-Pesa have filled a critical gap. Collectively, they disburse more […]
Kenya’s Budget Smartphone Market: The New Value-for-Money Test
Kenya’s budget smartphone market is moving fast, with brands like, Samsung, TECNO and Infinix raising expectations on performance, design, and features. The Redmi 15C offers a big battery and a trusted brand name, but it shows how value for money is becoming the ultimate benchmark for consumers making buying decisions. Today’s entry-level smartphones in Kenya […]
Why Global Banks Are Leaving Africa and Who’s Taking Their Place
Global banking in Africa is entering a new phase, shaped by exits, consolidations, and a shift toward digital solutions. HSBC Holdings Plc has officially exited South Africa after more than three decades, transferring its clients, employees, and assets to FirstRand Ltd., Africa’s largest lender by market capitalization. The transfer, finalized in September 2025 after regulatory […]
University Students and Loan Apps: A Growing Borrower Group in Kenya
Kenya’s digital lending landscape has grown dramatically since the launch of M-Shwari in 2012, reshaping how people access credit. What was once a privilege for the banked elite is now an everyday tool for millions of Kenyans. By 2024, an estimated 8 million people, about 29% of the adult population, had taken at least one […]
How AI and Alternative Credit Scoring Are Changing Loan Approvals in Kenya
In Kenya, access to credit has long been limited by traditional lending systems that rely heavily on collateral, payslips, and established banking histories. For the nearly 9% of adults who remain unbanked or underbanked, these requirements have kept them excluded from formal financial services. But today, loan apps using AI and alternative credit scoring are […]
Loan Apps and the Gig Economy: Riders, Drivers, and Freelancers
Kenya’s gig economy has grown rapidly over the past decade, driven by rising smartphone penetration and persistent urban youth unemployment. By 2025, over 1.2 million Kenyans were working on platforms such as Uber, Bolt, Glovo, Sendy, Fiverr, and Upwork. These platforms have become major employers, contributing heavily to the country’s economy. At the center of […]
Burundi’s Banks Are Changing but How Far Can the Transformation Go
Burundi’s banking sector is undergoing a period of change, balancing between profit-making, structural reforms, and the promise of digital transformation. While the sector remains small compared to regional peers, it plays a central role in supporting the country’s projected GDP growth of 3–6% in 2025, driven by mining investments and the recovery of the secondary […]