Empowering financial inclusion in Rwanda

Challenge

Rwanda’s economy is thriving, with over 500,000 SMEs employing 93% of the workforce and contributing 55% of GDP. Yet their growth is held back by limited access to affordable financial services. At the same time, around 6 million of the country’s 14 million people remain underserved by financial institutions, especially in rural areas. High transaction costs, restricted access to credit, and low digital adoption for part of the population —linked in part to digital illiteracy—make financial inclusion a major challenge.

Innovative solution

Kayko has developed a financial inclusion platform that makes transactions simpler and more affordable. It offers a smartphone-independent debit card for individuals, cost-effective Point of Sale (POS) terminals, and integrated management tools for SMEs, including inventory, payroll, and tax compliance solutions.

Impact

• 2,350 new SMEs using Kayko’s services (POS and digital business management tools), almost doubling the total number of SMEs covered
• Nearly 30,000 more indivduals accessing Kayko’s services
• 500 agents trained to operate within the Kayko Pay network, generating income through this activity

Photo credit ©Kayko