In Africa, a massive 370 million people have no access to formal banking services. Traditional banks in Africa have worked hard to increase their user base in the past years but faced various challenges such as deficient infrastructure and financial illiteracy etc.
The people who are excluded from the formal economy rely on informal channels such as savings groups and microfinance institutions to avail their financial needs. These informal financial groups (IFGs) play a critical part in providing loans and savings facilities in the African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and more. They are called as Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) in Tanzania, Stokvels in South Africa, and different names in different countries.
Financial inclusion remains a persistent concern in Africa. To bring equal financial opportunities for all, we have developed a unique financial system called Credit Association Management System (CAMS) aimed at thousands of cooperatives and microfinance institutions in Africa which still depend on cash and manual processes for their daily operations. CAMS solves the challenges of manual and paper-based work by providing a digital app to manage savings, loans, and shares online.
How CAMS can digitize SACCOs?
CAMS helps SACCOs and microfinance institutions digitize their day-to-day operations. Now, what does that mean? SACCO admins will get access online applications that they can use perform their daily work on a computer. This can include:
- Inviting new members to the group
- Storing all member and admin data online
- Completing the KYC process by uploading documents digitally
- Managing contributions, shares and loans assigned to each member
- Generating automed reports based on daily transactions
- Make payments from anywhere and keep a digital record
CAMS modules
This is just the tip of what all CAMS can offer to a SACCO or an MFI. CAMS as a digital system comes with 5 customizable modules.
Savings
It enables admins to keep a track of contributions made by members through mobile, bank, or cash. All the data and transactions is stored in the system that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
Loans
It helps admins manage active loans, accept or reject loan applications, and even create new loan applications on behalf of a member. Admins can create a complete loan approval process in the system.
Payments
It allows admins and members to make contributions and repay loans through any mode - be it mobile, bank, or cash. Every transaction will be easily stored in the system.
Administration
Admins can perform day-to-day administrative operations like managing transactions, members, and information. They can create new saving and loan products, implement rules and regulations, and create financial reports.
Accounting
It allows admins to create various financial reports like balance sheet that are required by the central bank or the government. These reports are automatically created based on the transactions recorded. A time consuming and tedious job can be completed in minutes.
Get a demo of CAMS to know more about the solution and its features,
CAMS is developed with the local community
We, at Wakandi, aim to provide equal financial opportunities in African societies with our digital solutions. We have already launched our system in Tanzania and working with full force in Kenya and Uganda.
We conducted feasibility studies. The feasibility studies included telephonic sessions and personal interviews that helped us to understand how savings groups in South Africa operate and what challenges they face in daily operations.
Read more about the feasibility study here.
We conducted field trips to meet regulatory authorities and SACCOs in Tanzania. The Wakandi team conducted field trips in Tanzania to meet regulatory authorities like Tanzania Cooperative Development Commission (TCDC), Co-operative Audit And Supervision Corporation (COASCO), and various SACCOs in the town. The aim of the trip was to promote financial inclusion and demonstrate the capabilities of their innovative solution.
Read more about our field trip in Tanzania.
Currently, many SACCOs have onboarded CAMS to use it simplify their operations. We are constantly improving the system and adding new features to offer the best experience.
Enabling better collaboration
With CAMS, we can create an all-included economy where formal and informal financial organizations can collaborate and build financial services. The economy will be driven by technology, financial data, cashless transactions, and most importantly, innovation.