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M-KOPA Unlocks KES 207 Billion in Credit as 4.8 Million Kenyans Report Better Digital and Financial Inclusion

Brian Njao, General Manager, M-KOPA Mobility, Reatile Tekateka, Director of Communications & External Affairs and Martin Kingori, General Manager, M-KOPA Kenya

Brian Njao, General Manager, M-KOPA Mobility, Reatile Tekateka, Director of Communications & External Affairs and Martin Kingori, General Manager, M-KOPA Kenya

M-KOPA Kenya has released its first Kenya-specific Impact Report. The report provides a detailed examination of how the fintech company has influenced digital access, financial inclusion and local economic growth over the past decade. It shows the scale of M-KOPA’s influence in Kenya and the country’s position as the core of the company’s impact.

According to the report, M-KOPA has unlocked more than KES 207 billion in credit since 2010 and has supported 4.8 million customers. Most of these customers have traditionally been excluded from formal financial systems. The ecosystem built around flexible credit and responsible lending continues to shape what M-KOPA describes as progress for Every Day Earners.

Martin Kingori, General Manager for M-KOPA Kenya, said that Kenya remains central to the company’s story. He noted that 9 out of 10 customers report an improved quality of life and more than half now earn more.

Smartphone Access Remains the Foundation

Smartphones have been at the heart of M-KOPA’s model, and the numbers in this report reflect that focus. The company has supported 4.5 million smartphone users, including 2.1 million first-time smartphone owners.

The report shows that 67 percent of customers use their devices for income generation. Nearly half of all customers were accessing smartphone ownership for the first time through M-KOPA and a large share also accessed their first formal loan or first health insurance cover.

The company’s “More than a Phone” platform continues to expand. It provides a pathway to credit, insurance, and digital services that customers repay through flexible daily instalments.

Impact

M-KOPA has also revealed that it contributed KES 3.79 billion in taxes in 2024. This makes it among the largest private sector taxpayers in Kenya. The company spent KES 20.3 billion on local procurement. This helped support Kenyan suppliers and stimulating wider economic activity.

Employment remains another important area of impact. M-KOPA directly employs 1,320 staff and supports 14,000 sales agents. Most of these are young people entering the job market for the first time. This contribution is especially important at a time when youth unemployment remains a national challenge.

A major highlight from the report is the smartphone assembly facility in Nairobi. Now considered the largest of its kind in Africa, it has produced two million devices. This facility also serves as a training ground for Kenyans entering fields such as electronics assembly, quality control and advanced manufacturing.

E-Mobility’s Growth

The report shows growing momentum in electric mobility. M-KOPA has financed more than 5,000 electric motorbikes for Boda Boda riders.

Brian Njao, General Manager for Mobility at M-KOPA, said that the model works across different types of assets. Whether the product is a smartphone or an electric motorbike, the company aims to make income generating tools accessible to everyday earners. This approach also supports environmental goals because electric motorbikes reduce harmful pollutants by more than 90 percent.

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Also Read: M-KOPA’s Financing Model is Powering Kenya’s Electric Mobility Transition: A Conversation with Brian Njao

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