MoneyPhone Africa

MoneyPhone Africa is a licensed Non-Deposit Taking Financial Institution (NDFI) regulated by the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), providing fully digital microloans to smallholder farmers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who are often excluded from traditional bank credit.

Key capabilities include:

• 100% digital loan lifecycle, from application to disbursement and repayment, entirely on a phone with no branch visits or paperwork.
• AI-powered credit scoring using data such as historical production records rather than traditional collateral.
• Seasonal loans timed to harvest cycles, with disbursement typically within five days.
• Mobile money disbursement and repayment, plus emerging green finance products for clean cooking and solar irrigation equipment.

Available on Web, designed for mobile phone access.

Founded in 2018 as Money Phone BV, a Dutch fintech led by CEO Marthe Paauwe alongside board president Jan and COO Laura, the company licenses its digital lending technology to microfinance institutions in multiple emerging markets, while MoneyPhone Africa Ltd is its directly operated, BNR-licensed lender in Rwanda. It has partnered with Equity Bank Rwanda and Dutch NGO SPARK on loans for smallholder Irish potato farmers, and reports reaching close to 8,000 farmers within two years of licensing, with sub-5% non-performing loans and over 50% quarterly portfolio growth.

Target users include smallholder farmers, cooperatives, students, and local micro-entrepreneurs and MSMEs in Rwanda, including women, refugees, and youth often excluded from traditional banking.