Standard Chartered Launches Mobile Lending App

Standard Chartered has launched SC Juza, a short-term lending mobile app for its clients. The app aspires to meet the growing demand for short-term unsecured loans that are easily disbursed through mobile wallets.

The fully digital product allows clients to borrow any amount between $7.65 (KES 1,000) to $764.88 (KES 100,000) with a two-month repayment period. Interest on this product will only be charged on the days the loan is held enabling clients to benefit from early repayments.

“SC Juza represents the continued evolution of our digitisation strategy. We hope to expand on the gains we have seen in our market with mobile lending products by offering a comprehensive solution that is highly inclusive. In addition, SC Juza will allow our clients to borrow with dignity, in line with our ambition to uplift participation in the financial ecosystem for the underserved,” said Kariuki Ngari, MD & Chief Executive Officer, Kenya and Africa for Standard Chartered.

Over the last month, SC Juza has been offered to a small segment of customers to enable testing and feedback. Initial use indicates that over 13,346 clients have attempted to register on the App, with 88 per cent being able to secure loans.

Users will need to download the ‘SC Juza App’ that will allow them to access credit upon meeting minimal requirements such as a proven track of loan repayments and a six-month M-PESA subscriber history. Loan requests will then be processed and disbursed speedily into clients’ mobile wallets.

To ensure clients have access to a transparent and inclusive service, the App will provide users with full transparency when it comes to loan service charges. The processing fee for each approved application is set at 5.5%, while the interest rate on loans is 1.6% per month.

To further assist borrowers, the loan tenure is 60 days (approximately two months), providing an extended period for consumers to fulfil their financial obligations without the stress of immediate repayment.

Notably, the service fee is applied only after the first 30 days, adding a layer of flexibility for early repayments. Moreover, interest is accrued daily, meaning that each day adds a small, calculated interest amount to the individual’s outstanding balance, ensuring that the cost of borrowing is clear and accumulative.