M-KOPA – Enabling Micro-Business Growth in South Africa

M-KOPA South Africa has published its inaugural South Africa Impact Report. The findings show that women are playing a leading role in the country’s digital inclusion, both as first-time smartphone users and as income earners within the company’s growing agent network.

The report highlights the company’s significant progress in driving financial inclusion, digital access, and economic opportunity for “Every Day Earners” in South Africa.

Since launching their financial micro lending operations in 2023, M-KOPA has unlocked over ZAR 370 million in credit for over 100,000 customers, – helping to transform lives by providing easy finance for affordable smartphones and digital services without requiring collateral or formal credit history.

This financing innovation, has positioned M-KOPA as a key player in addressing South Africa’s national unemployment crisis and the digital divide.

Through its flexible, customer-centric financing model, the company, via it’s network of agents, enables low-income individuals to access essential tools for economic participation – the mobile smart-phone and data. Daily repayments are aligned with real cash flow, and customers can pause payments or return the device with a full deposit refund, reducing the risk of over-indebtedness.

Customer Impact

By the end of 2025, M-KOPA South Africa had reached over 100,000 customers, of which 49% being women — the highest female customer proportion across all M-KOPA markets. Notably, 31% of customers (36% among women) acquired their first smartphone through M-KOPA.

These devices in turn, are proving transformative: Their report indicates that 64% of customers use them for income generation, 35% report earning more because or their mobile device, and 84% say their quality of life has improved. For many, the smartphone is their first entry point to the digital economy, enabling access to work, market services, learning, Job search, and entrepreneurship.

Agent and Employee Impact

M-KOPA has created 1,300 income earning opportunities through its sales agent network, with 84% of these being women — a sharp increase from around 49% the previous year. This is the highest female agent representation across all M-KOPA’s markets. M-KOPA operates across five African countries: Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa. 

Among surveyed agents, 62% said M-KOPA was their first income-earning opportunity, and 73% report earning more since joining. The company also directly employs 155 people, with 55% women.

In 2025, M-KOPA launched a 12-month learnership programme for top-performing agents, providing nationally recognised qualifications, mentorship, and clear pathways to leadership roles. Employee engagement initiatives, including wellness committees, further strengthen workplace culture.

Local Economic Contribution

In 2024, M-KOPA contributed over ZAR 24 million in tax revenue and spent more than ZAR 155.5 million on local procurement. The company partners with major telcos like Vodacom and Telkom, strengthening South Africa’s economy through regional sourcing and local operations.

Looking Ahead

M-KOPA South Africa plans to expand its coverage to all nine provinces, and to strengthen value-added services (such as digital loans and insurance), and continue building opportunities for local communities to build prosperity through its Every Day Earners approach. The company has committed itself to responsible, inclusive growth that combines financial access, providing digital inclusion in an environmentally responsible manner.

The 2025 Impact Report demonstrates M-KOPA South Africa’s success in creating scalable, responsible impact via the establishment of micro business opportunity. By combining flexible financing, local job creation, and digital access, the company is delivering measurable social, economic, and environmental value while proving that inclusive business models can thrive in challenging markets.