Growing by leaps and bounds in Tanzania – Ushirika supports the Wakandi mission

More than 5 in 10 adults (56%) in Tanzania are financially included, almost all through mobile money accounts. Mobile technology connects more than 47 million people to various digital initiatives launched by the Tanzanian government. Such a high adoption of mobile money accounts led to a staggering boost in digital transformation. 

Riding on the wave of digitization in Tanzania, we have launched our Credit Association Management System (CAMS) that enables SACCOs to manage their finances and transactions through mobile. We have successfully onboarded Kagera Microfinance and KKKT Arusha Road SACCOS Ltd to start pilot projects in Tanzania. The key idea behind CAMS is to offer SACCOs a cashless experience and connect them to formal finance.  

With CAMS, we aim to bring the power of digital to thousands of SACCOs. Our system can bring many benefits to them: 

• Instant deposit – Users can deposit their weekly or monthly contributions instantly using their preferred mobile money wallet. They can check their total contribution anytime they want using their mobile. 
• Loan application – Users can apply for loans in a few clicks and get the amount directly into their mobile money wallet. They will also be able to manage different loans taken from the SACCOs through their mobile with timely reminders and notifications.
• Admin-related functions – An admin of a savings group can perform various tasks through the CAMS app, such as adding or removing members, creating loan products, managing loans and contributions, and many more. 

Ushirika backing Wakandi’s mission 

During the development phase, we got a chance to meet the Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC), popularly known as Ushirika, to show our system and its capabilities. Ushirika is an establishment in Tanzania that aims to regulate and promote the development of the cooperative sector. We discussed various challenges SACCOs face and how CAMS can help them solve problems with technology. 

Ushirika has been a critical support to our organization. They are promoting our system amongst various SACCOs and encouraging them to get on board. With their support, we aim to onboard more SACCOs to our system and boost digitization. With CAMS, millions of people will be able to manage their savings and loans in a few clicks of their mobile phones.

About Ushirika 

Ushirika is established by the Cooperative Societies Act No. 6 of 2013 and aims to regulate and promote the development of the cooperative sector. They perform various activities such as registering, supervising and managing disputes and collaborations for cooperative societies. They also enable better coordination, promote and encourage sustainability, provide training, and facilitate planning.