YOUR POSITIVITI NEWS CORNER

Beyond Banks: Microfinance the Future of Inclusive Wealth Creation

By: Rendi Nyangua

In the quiet buzz of Kenya’s open-air markets such as Gikomba to Kawangware, something subtle but powerful is unfolding. Not the flashy kind of wealth creation we’re used to seeing in headlines. No IPOs, no crypto hype, no billionaire founders. Instead, it’s the chamas (informal savings groups), the rotating kitchen-table lenders, and the rise of digital microfinance tools that are quietly redrawing the lines of economic power.

Take the example of Jirani Co-Op, a women-run market stall network. A few years ago, their members were stuck in survival mode buying produce on credit, dodging landlord threats, and never planning beyond the next two weeks. Today, thanks to coordinated microloans and community accountability, they’ve transformed into bulk buyers with negotiating power. They’ve hired youth from their neighborhoods, diversified into selling fabric and handmade soap, and one group even started a daycare turning the market into more than a marketplace. It’s now a micro-economy.

What’s happening in Gikomba is happening all across Africa.

This is what makes microfinance different from traditional banking. It doesn’t just insert money into a system, it rebuilds the system from the roots up. Aligning with the rhythms, risks, and realities of the everyday African hustler. Banks still look for collateral. Microfinance looks for community. Banks offer credit scores. Microfinance offers trust scores. The difference is not just financial it’s philosophical.

A 2023 World Bank report noted that in Sub-Saharan Africa, access to formal banking services still hovers below 43%. Meanwhile, mobile-based microfinance platforms are reaching over 62% of low-income households. In Kenya alone, 7.4 million people access loans through digital credit providers monthly, according to the Central Bank of Kenya. Another study by the UNCDF highlighted that women-led enterprises receiving microloans showed a 38% higher business survival rate over three years compared to those without access. This isn’t just about access it’s about outcomes.

You’ll even find change at the street level. In markets like Burma and Toi, you’ll hear traders using mobile apps to manage inventory, calculate repayments, and send money across counties in real time. One boda operator mentioned using a savings group app to rebuild his motorbike after an accident interest-free and with zero paperwork.

And the future? It’s decentralized, digital, and deeply local. Platforms like AfreCash are bridging that future by directing funds into overlooked communities and letting the people themselves, the boda operator, the tailor become not just borrowers but builders of wealth ecosystems.

Microfinance isn’t the backup plan. It’s the blueprint. Especially in places where formal systems never fully arrived. Microfinance isn’t filling a gap it’s forming a foundation. As these small loans ripple outward through mentorship, group models, and digital access they reveal something revolutionary:

That inclusive wealth isn’t just possible. It’s already happening.

From Sidewalks to Systems: Kenya’s Microfinance Movement Is Rewriting the Rules of Capital

By: Rendi Nyangua

Walk through the open-air maze of Toi Market in Nairobi or the lively stalls of Kibuye in Kisumu and you’ll see what a financial revolution really looks like, not in suits or skyscrapers, but in woven baskets, dusty shelves, and mobile money alerts.

In one corner, you’ll find Waithera and her team of weavers crafting traditional baskets for both local trade and global orders. Their secret? A microloan from Open Valley Group. With it, they bulk-buy sisal and dye, hire a digital marketer, and even partner with a logistics start-up to handle regional orders. Before that, their income was seasonal and volatile. Now, it’s steady and growing.

Their story isn’t rare. It’s the blueprint of Kenya’s bottom-up economy.

Markets like Kibuye, Makongeni in Thika, and Kongowea in Mombasa aren’t just chaotic trading spaces. They’re vibrant, self-sustaining ecosystems rich with data, social trust, and community finance. However, traditional banks have historically shut these traders out due to “lack of documentation” or “high risk.”

That’s where microfinance and mobile lending apps like AfreCash, Tala, and Musoni come in. Using alternative credit scoring based on mobile phone usage, repayment behavior, and even geolocation, they offer fast, tailored loans to informal traders.

A 2023 survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reported that over 55% of small and micro-enterprises now prefer digital microloans over traditional banks, citing speed, flexibility, and lack of paperwork as key factors.

According to John Mwangi, a microfinance researcher at the University of Nairobi:

“We’re seeing a shift from collateral-based finance to relationship-based finance. These systems reflect the tempo of the people weekly repayments, group accountability, and emotional ownership.”

Policy shifts are also in motion. The Central Bank of Kenya, in its 2024 Financial Sector Stability Report, acknowledged informal finance as a “critical driver of national financial inclusion” and announced plans to integrate SACCOs and microfinance institutions into a shared national credit registry a major leap forward in trust-building.

Meanwhile, AfreCash reports that 70% of its users run their businesses entirely through mobile money receiving loans, paying suppliers, and selling products without ever stepping into a physical bank. The friction is gone. The freedom is real.

But perhaps the biggest shift is cultural. Finance in Kenya is no longer reserved for boardrooms. It’s being redefined on sidewalks, WhatsApp groups, and tuk-tuk routes. It’s collaborative, resilient, and locally engineered.

The open-air market isn’t just a place to sell goods anymore. It’s where the future of finance is being lived, shaped, and scaled.

The world should be watching.

SHOW CALENDAR 2025

July 31st - Aug. 2nd

LIMITLESS EXPO – Grapevine, TX (Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center)

September 12th - 13th

MS Toronto, Canada (Metro Toronto Convention Center)

October 16th - 18th

MS/Traders EXPO Orlando, FL (Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate)

November 2nd - 5th

New Orleans Investment Conference, LA (Hilton New Orleans Riverside)

December 4th – 6th

MS Masters Symposium – Sarasota, FL (Hyatt Regency)

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Excellent customer service

Excellent customer service, very responsive. Great mission of providing capital to those in need to allow the borrower to grow and prosper. Exceptional returns without the volatility of market swings. ~ David

Lender to Microloan representative

I became a lender first and I was very happy with the returns and service from Positiviti. Everything they promised they made good on. The owners and Vice President are people of great character and want success and a Win / Win / Win for everyone involved. ~ John

36% Annual returns while helping others is a Win-Win!

I am more than pleased with the returns I have received in the last 18 months. Every month, I get 3% reported in my Positiviti Account, and each month, I know that my participation is helping thousands of Small and Micro businesses in Kenya get access to capital to build up their businesses. Earning 36% annual returns while helping others is a true win-win investment. What is better is we did a friends and family account so even my kids earn 36% annual returns as part of our account. If you are not earning 36% annually consider participating in Positiviti Lending. You will be as happy as I am. ~ Dan

Amazing microlending platform with high returns

Amazing microlending platform with high returns. The staff is incredibly helpful. I have seen positive returns of 3% month consistently on my money since enrolling in the Family and Friends plan. Positiviti is the real deal. I continue to recommend them to everyone I know. Very happy with the service. ~ John

I went from -4% to 12% by moving it to Positiviti

I was able to take my money out of my 401K from the company I am currently working for, because I was only making -4%. I then put it into Positiviti through Oasis Retirement trust and now I am making 12%. That's a net gain of 16%. Wow, soon I will be making 36% and I can speed up my retirement date. ~ Jan

DISCLAIMER: Positiviti, Inc. provides administrative, technical, and facilitative support services for individual microlenders seeking to engage in microlending efforts with MFI’s, including Open Valley Investment Group Limited in Kenya. Positiviti, Inc. does not act as a lender, financial advisor, or guarantor of loan performance. Positiviti does not issue loans or guarantee repayment. All loan agreements are entered into directly between individual international lenders and MFI’s in Kenya. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Participation in microlending carries risk, and individuals should independently research and conduct their own due diligence before making any financial commitments. Use of this platform is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

CONFIDENTIAL PRIVILEGE: This email message and any attachments are intended solely for the individual or entity to which it is addressed and is confidential. If the reader of this message and any attachments are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any examination, distribution, or copying of this material is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender promptly and delete this message and any attachments.