---
title: "M-KOPA says it has issued $22.5 million in device credit in South Africa since 2023"
description: "M-KOPA reports over ZAR 370 million in credit issued in South Africa since 2023. Women make up 49% of its 105,000 customers."
canonical_url: "https://liners.com/news/m-kopa-says-it-has-issued-22-5-million-in-device-credit-in-south-africa-since-2023"
markdown_url: "https://liners.com/news/m-kopa-says-it-has-issued-22-5-million-in-device-credit-in-south-africa-since-2023.md"
type: "article"
language: "en"
published_at: "2026-04-09T17:01:15.521Z"
updated_at: "2026-04-09T17:01:15.523Z"
---

# M-KOPA says it has issued $22.5 million in device credit in South Africa since 2023

M-KOPA reports over ZAR 370 million in credit issued in South Africa since 2023. Women make up 49% of its 105,000 customers.

## Breadcrumbs

- [News](/news)
- [M-KOPA says it has issued $22.5 million in device credit in South Africa since 2023](/news/m-kopa-says-it-has-issued-22-5-million-in-device-credit-in-south-africa-since-2023)

## Content

## In short
[M-KOPA](/m-kopa) says it has extended more than ZAR 370 million, or about $22.5 million, in credit to low-income consumers in South Africa since launching there in 2023.

Its 2025 impact report says women are driving much of the uptake.

## What happened
M-KOPA, a Kenyan asset financing startup, published a South Africa-focused impact report covering customer usage and outcomes.

The company says it has 105,000 customers in South Africa. Women account for 49% of them.

The report adds that 36% of female customers are first-time smartphone users, compared with 24% of men.

M-KOPA’s model is device financing, which means customers pay for a smartphone over time using small instalments rather than paying the full price upfront.

The report is based on a survey of 452 customers and sales agents conducted by Caribou.

It found that 64% of respondents rely on their devices to generate income. About 35% said their earnings increased, and 39% said they could invest more in their children’s education.

## Why it matters
In South Africa, smartphone prices and limited access to credit keep many people offline, even where mobile networks exist.

M-KOPA is betting that flexible credit can close the affordability gap between wanting a smartphone and being able to buy one.

The report also points to a gender angle that operators and fintechs watch closely, women are adopting financed smartphones at scale and a sizable share are coming online for the first time.

The company’s numbers land in a wider regional context. The World Bank’s Global Findex 2025 Digital Connectivity Tracker says 74% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa own a mobile phone versus 86% globally, and 77% of those without one cite cost as the main barrier.

## Sources and products

- [Techcabal](https://techcabal.com/2026/04/09/m-kopa-impact-report/)
- [M-KOPA](/m-kopa)

## Related pages

- [Market Trends](/news)

## Access and citation

- [Canonical HTML page](https://liners.com/news/m-kopa-says-it-has-issued-22-5-million-in-device-credit-in-south-africa-since-2023)
- [Markdown route index](/sitemap.md)
- [Agent access guide](/llms.txt)