The Kuunda Digest - May '25
Beyond apps and APIs, beyond speed and scale, it’s about creating the conditions for real financial empowerment. In this month’s edition, we explore the many ways fintech companies across Africa are shaping inclusive financial futures. From M-Kopa’s vertically integrated model to Kuunda’s work powering embedded lending infrastructure, we look at how different approaches to “building” are helping communities thrive. Plus, we share insights from our Group CCO, Jalal, on the future of digital credit and the role of knowledge-sharing in driving impact.
In the fintech world, “building” takes many forms. For some companies, it means designing world-class products that serve end users directly. For others, it’s about laying the groundwork, developing the infrastructure that enables entire ecosystems to grow. Both approaches are vital. This balance was highlighted in a recent article spotlighting Africa’s Top 11 Fintechs to Watch in 2025, where M-Kopa, a standout African fintech startup, claimed the number one spot.
M-Kopa has built an impressive vertically integrated model: from local smartphone assembly to a 30,000-strong sales force and over 5 million customers across five countries. They’ve created a full-stack solution that puts smartphones, solar kits, and essential financial services into the hands of customers who might otherwise be excluded. Their impact is undeniable, and their success speaks volumes about what it means to build for inclusion from the ground up.
At Kuunda, we’re also builders, but we’re constructing something slightly different. While we don’t own the end product, we power the systems that help others deliver financial access. We’re focused on solving the persistent liquidity gaps faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises, particularly the mobile agents and merchants who keep communities running. Our embedded finance infrastructure helps partners offer credit when and where it’s needed most, tailored to local markets but built to scale globally.
Where M-Kopa builds products, Kuunda builds capacity, for banks, telcos, and platforms to serve their communities better. We don’t compete in the same space, but we’re working toward the same goal: a more inclusive, more connected financial future.
At Kuunda, connection goes beyond infrastructure and APIs, it’s about people, shared learning, and the exchange of ideas that move our industry forward.
Last month, our Group CCO, Jalal, was invited to speak virtually to an MBA and EMBA class at the Karachi School of Business and Leadership (KSBL), in Pakistan. The session was an opportunity to reflect not only on the challenges we’re tackling at Kuunda but also on how those lessons resonate with the next generation of leaders in the fintech space.
Jalal explored some of the fundamental questions behind our work: How do we solve liquidity gaps at the last mile? What does it take to design credit products that are scalable, responsible, and relevant across vastly different markets? And what role does embedded finance play in shaping the future of digital credit?
From Kuunda’s lean, platform-agnostic infrastructure to our commitment to building responsibly, the conversation offered a window into how local realities inform global solutions.
“Speaking to the MBA and EMBA class at KSBL was an incredibly rewarding experience,” Jalal shared. “I firmly believe that building inclusive financial systems requires both innovation and knowledge-sharing. It was a privilege to engage with such bright minds and share Kuunda’s journey in creating impact through embedded digital lending.”
Opportunities like these remind us that connection isn’t just about systems, it’s about building a community of thinkers, builders, and changemakers who are all working toward more inclusive financial futures.
Fintech is often seen as a fast-paced industry focused on speed, convenience, and innovation, helping people send money quickly, make digital payments, or access services through apps. But its real potential runs deeper.
Across the globe, financial technology has emerged as a powerful tool for community empowerment. By offering access to financial services through digital platforms, fintech has the potential to close long-standing gaps in inclusion, especially in underserved and informal economies. From mobile money to microcredit, these tools are enabling individuals to take greater control over their financial lives, often for the first time.
But empowerment in this context goes beyond access. It involves designing systems that people trust, can understand, and that genuinely meet their day-to-day needs. When communities are equipped with the right tools, knowledge, and support, they become active participants in their own financial growth, not just recipients of services.
At Kuunda, we see this principle in action every day. Our work focuses on building embedded digital lending products that integrate seamlessly into the platforms our partners already use. This approach ensures that individuals, whether a shopkeeper in a city or a market trader in a rural area, can access small, affordable loans when they need them most.
By working closely with local partners, we help ensure that these solutions are relevant, accessible, and grounded in real-world behaviour. The result? Stronger repayment patterns, increased digital confidence, and communities that are better equipped to withstand shocks and pursue opportunities.
Empowering communities is not a one-time intervention, it’s an ongoing process of listening, adapting, and building with intention. In the fintech space, and at Kuunda, it’s also the key to long-term, inclusive growth.