"What if I have no collateral?"
You do not need land, a title deed, or an asset register. Group Loans run on trust and mutual guarantee — the oldest collateral in the world.
| Feature | Individual Loan | Group Loan |
|---|---|---|
| Physical collateral required | ✓ | ✗ |
| Group guarantee accepted | ✗ | ✓ |
| First-time borrower eligible | ◐ | ✓ |
| Minimum loan amount | $200 | $50 |
| Maximum loan amount | $5,000 | $1,500 |
| Credit history required | ✓ | ✗ |
| Guarantor neededGroup members serve as mutual guarantors | ✓ | ✗ |
| Savings account prerequisiteMicro-savings account opened at enrollment | ✗ | ✓ |
Yes. Our Group Loan is designed exactly for this. Five to fifteen neighbors or co-workers form a solidarity circle. Their collective promise replaces any physical asset. Over 60% of our active borrowers started with a Group Loan and zero collateral.
Household appliances, tools, a motorbike, or livestock can all count. Our field officer visits you and agrees a fair value. We never take the item — it stays with you. It is simply registered as security.
"How fast is the money?"
Market day waits for no one. We built our disbursement pipeline around the hours that matter — not the hours that are convenient for a bank.
| Feature | Branch Walk-In | Mobile Apply | Group Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application time | 30 min | 8 min | 15 min |
| Field officer visitMobile: only for amounts above $500 | ✓ | ◐ | ✗ |
| Decision time | 24 hrs | 4 hrs | Same day |
| Disbursement after approval | 48 hrs | 24 hrs | 2 hrs |
| Funds delivered via | Cash/M-Pesa | M-Pesa | Cash at meeting |
| Documents needed | 3 docs | 2 docs | 1 doc |
| Weekend processing | ✗ | ✓ | ◐ |
For Group Loan renewals, funds hit the meeting table the same day approval is confirmed — often within two hours. Mobile applicants receive M-Pesa disbursement within 24 hours of approval. We built our system around harvest windows and market days; we know you cannot wait a week.
Our branch officers carry cash and can disburse directly. We also partner with three local mobile money agents in each district. You will never be turned away because of a SIM issue.
"Weekly or monthly — which is better?"
Neither is universally right. The right schedule matches your cash-flow rhythm: market day, payday, or harvest day. Compare below.
| Feature | Weekly | Bi-Weekly | Monthly | Seasonal / Bullet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum loan term | 8 wks | 12 wks | 3 mo | 4 mo |
| Maximum loan term | 24 wks | 36 wks | 12 mo | 9 mo |
| Suitable for | Market traders | Seamstresses | Salaried staff | Farmers |
| Interest rate (flat) | 1.5%/wk | 2.8%/2wk | 5%/mo | 18% total |
| Grace period available | ✗ | ◐ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Early repayment discount | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Missed payment fee | $1.50 | $2.00 | $4.00 | $6.00 |
| Restructuring allowed | ✗ | ◐ | ✓ | ✓ |
A flat missed-payment fee applies — never compounding interest on interest. Your loan officer calls within 24 hours to understand what happened. For a first-ever missed payment, we offer a one-time 7-day grace extension at no extra cost. We want you to recover, not spiral.
Monthly and Seasonal borrowers receive a 10% rebate on remaining interest if they settle in full before the halfway point. Weekly and Bi-Weekly loans are short enough that early settlement is processed with no penalty and no rebate.
For market-stall traders who collect cash every market day, small weekly payments match their cash-flow rhythm. Many borrowers tell us weekly payments feel lighter than waiting for a large monthly sum to build up.
"Which loan actually fits my business?"
A seamstress, a maize farmer, and a phone-credit trader have different cash cycles. The comparison below makes the difference scannable in seconds.
| Feature | Agricultural | Trade / Commerce | Personal / Household | Women's Cooperative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loan range | $100–$2,000 | $50–$3,000 | $50–$800 | $50–$500/member |
| Seasonal disbursement | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Input procurement support | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ◐ |
| Inventory bridge financing | ◐ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| School-fee top-up option | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Equipment purchase clause | ✓ | ✓ | ◐ | ✗ |
| Business training included | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Loan officer site visit | ✓ | ◐ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Repeat borrower rate cut | 0.5% | 0.75% | 0.5% | 1% |
Yes. Our Agricultural Bridge Loan disburses at planting or post-harvest and is repaid in a single bullet payment on the day you sell your crop — or within 90 days, whichever comes first. The rate is set at the start and does not change if the market takes longer than expected.
Absolutely. A registered cooperative of five or more members applies as one borrower. Each member's individual liability is capped at her share. The cooperative's collective repayment record builds a group credit score that unlocks larger amounts with every successful cycle.
A Trade Loan covers productive equipment purchases. Bring one quote from a supplier. Approval typically takes 4 hours. The machine is yours immediately; the loan is repaid from the income it generates, usually over 16–24 weekly payments.
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The comparison tables above have done the persuasion work. All that remains is checking which loan is yours.