Savings Groups Technology Toolkit

M-KOBA is a digital payments-based solution for Savings Groups, developed by Vodacom and TPB Bank in Tanzania. The application mirrors the steps in a Savings Group and members can buy shares, receive loan disbursements and make loan repayments. To transfer funds, the application prompts the secretary to initiate the fund request from the group account to customer M-Pesa wallet, the treasurer then verifies the transaction, and the president approves. The application may be used during presential group meetings, or it may replace meetings altogether.

M-KOBA offers a customer service line where users can contact a Vodacom customer service agent by dialing 100. The application was launched in March 2019 – and, by the end of the year, includes about 60,000 individual users.

Contact: Leonard Katamba, Chief Manager, Business Solutions, Tanzania Postal Bank (LeonardKatamba@gmail.com)