Hustler Fund

The Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF), popularly known as Hustler Fund, is a Kenyan government-backed digital program that provides unsecured mobile loans and savings products for low-income earners, informal sector workers, and micro and small business owners.

Key capabilities include:

• USSD-based borrowing via *254# on Safaricom, Telkom, or Airtel, with instant approval and disbursement to mobile money wallets.
• Personal Loan terms for small-ticket credit, KES 100–50,000 over 14 days, priced at 8% p.a. (with 9.5% p.a. if repayment is delayed beyond 14 days).
• Bridge Loan access for borrowers with strong repayment history, offering higher limits with stepped pricing (8% p.a. if repaid within 30 days; 9.5% p.a. if repaid between 31–60 days).
• Savings options including Mandatory Savings and Voluntary Savings, plus product tutorials, FAQs, and guidance on the Hustler Rating used to determine eligibility and limits.

Available via USSD (*254#) for transactions and a web portal for product information and resources; loan disbursements and repayments use M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and T-Kash.

Target users include individual Kenyan citizens, especially those in the informal sector, plus groups and MSMEs where applicable.

It is notable in Kenya’s fintech and MSME landscape as a national financial inclusion initiative launched in 2022, designed to expand access to affordable credit and savings for underserved segments through widely used mobile networks and mobile money rails.