Agrio Finans

Kenya’s licensing of 42 new digital lenders signals a major shift in how credit markets across Africa are evolving. By bringing more players into a regulated framework, the move aims to improve transparency, protect borrowers, and expand access to formal credit. But it also raises important questions about competition, risk management, and market saturation. For lenders across the continent, this development offers both a blueprint for regulation and a reminder that sustainable growth depends not just on scale, but on trust, compliance, and responsible lending practices.

Many lenders blame late payments on “bad borrowers,” but the real problem is often hidden in the data they overlook. This article explains why your default rate is higher than it should be and highlights five powerful data points, often ignored by lenders that can dramatically improve underwriting accuracy, borrower monitoring, and repayment performance.

The question lenders now ask is simple: does Android still allow loan apps to scrape SMS from users’ phones for credit scoring?