Spearheading financial health together.

KCS SACCO is a Kenyan credit union that started in 2017 with 50 members from the Karura Community Chapel in Nairobi. The Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) has grown to 2,800 members from over 10 countries. The SACCO's vision is to empower people socio-economically. They offer a variety of savings and loan products to their members, and aim to double their membership base each year. The key to these ambitions was to adopt digital infrastructure that could automate reporting, loan approvals and member registrations, freeing up time for KCS staff to recruit and serve members. To do that, KCS turned to Kwara.

The key to these ambitions was to adopt digital infrastructure that could automate reporting, loan approvals and member registrations, freeing up time for KCS staff to recruit and serve members. To do that, KCS turned to Kwara.

“The SACCO industry in Africa was transformed when Kwara came in. SACCOs and indeed Karura Community can now affordably compete through digitisation. What seemed impossible Kwara has made possible.”— Gitonga, CEO - KCS SACCO

Automating operations, kick-starting 2.5x member growth

Before using Kwara's platform, KCS SACCO faced numerous challenges, including poor vendor support, lack of a mobile app, errors with reports, and poor interest calculations. These challenges had a negative impact on the SACCO's financial situation, as members were not satisfied and did not always trust the balances.

Members' queries took up a lot of time, which limited the SACCO's ability to diversify products and market to members. With Kwara's platform, KCS SACCO has been able to automate many of its operations, including member onboarding, loan processing, reporting, security and interest calculations. This has enabled the SACCO to free up staff time, increase member satisfaction, and diversify its product offerings. 

“I remember those days [before Kwara]. We used to spend a lot of time answering member queries. Now we’re spending that time thinking how we can diversify our products and market to more members.” — Gitonga, CEO , KCS SACCO

KCS SACCO has been able to kick-start 2.5 times growth in its membership, from 800 to 2,800 members, with the help of Kwara's platform. One of the main drivers for this are Kwara’s mobile channels, the Kwara Connect App and USSD code *341#, which allow members to easily access their accounts and services via their phones. Members can easily register for KCS SACCO by downloading the Kwara Connect App, and start saving from day 1.

Mobile channels lead to international scale in 10+ countries

Thanks to Kwara's mobile app and other digital channels, KCS SACCO has been able to scale internationally, with more than 100 members outside of Kenya, in countries such as Somalia, Zambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Estonia, UK, US, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands and Qatar. Member can easily register for KCS SACCO by downloading the Kwara Connect App, and start saving from day 1.

As diaspora are often not able to visit physical branches or put in local phone calls, the Kwara App allows international members of KCS SACCO to view their balances, download their statements and apply for a loan from across the globe. This has enabled KCS SACCO to reach a wider audience and realize its vision on a global scale.

“Members can easily refer members with Kwara. It is as easy as downloading an app! Thanks to Kwara we were able to have membership cutting across the world, with the power of digitization” — Gitonga, CEO , KCS SACCO

Reporting and stability for regulatory approval

KCS SACCO has been able to successfully apply for a Kenyan regulatory SASRA Non-DT license, thanks in part to Kwara's help with regulatory accreditation and standardized reporting. With an asset base of KES 100M+, KCS SACCO needed to be regulated, and Kwara's platform provided the necessary reporting and stability for regulatory approval. This has helped KCS SACCO to build trust with its members, as being a SASRA-accredited SACCO conveys confidence and stability.

“SASRA is an accreditation that every SACCO wants to have. During the application process you should have basic financial reports, which are all available on the Kwara system.” — Gitonga, CEO , KCS SACCO

If you are SASRA regulated, members know you have systems and policies in place that can handle funds with care. According to KCS SACCO, they belong to the less than 2% of SACCOs in Kenya that reach this accreditation.