Affordable smartphones and pay-as-you-go models connect millions of people who would otherwise remain excluded from the internet and digital services.
M-KOPA, the UK-based fintech that provides affordable smartphone and e-motorbike financing, has sold over 6.4 million smartphones since 2020, including 1.3 million units in 2025 alone, it announced in its 2025 Global Impact Report. The achievement highlights the company’s commitment to making digital access affordable and accessible for millions of “Everyday Earners” who are often excluded from traditional financial systems.
"What matters most to us is how many people we're actively serving every day, those who stay engaged with us over time. Our active customer number reached 3 million for the first time this year," said Jesse Moore, Co-Founder & CEO of M-KOPA. "When we ask customers, 'does M-KOPA make your life better?' 9 out of 10 say yes. That's tangible and meaningful impact on millions of lives."
Mobile technology is a critical driver of innovation and industrial development, acting both as essential infrastructure and a catalyst for growth. Yet, despite strong demand, smartphone penetration in many African markets remains low. According to GSMA’s Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa 2024 report, the region has the world’s highest mobile usage gap at 60%. In this context, M-KOPA’s sale of 1.3 million devices in a single year represents a significant step toward closing the gap and accelerating digital adoption across the continent.
The affordability challenge is underscored by global data from the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). Almost 2.5 billion people live in countries where the cheapest smartphone costs at least a quarter of monthly income—the same share Europeans spend on housing. In Sierra Leone, a handset equals six months’ wages, while in Botswana it is just 4%. The Alliance for Affordable Internet’s From Luxury to Lifeline report urges cutting device taxes, using access funds to subsidize the poorest, and expanding microfinance pilots to make smartphones affordable.
M-KOPA’s pay-as-you-go model aligns closely with these recommendations by breaking down affordability barriers and extending access to first-time users who would otherwise be excluded. By offering flexible repayment, bundled data, and device protection, it ensures that even the lowest-income households can remain connected and participate in the digital economy. With this approach, 42% of M-KOPA buyers—rising to 45% among women—acquired their very first smartphone. Importantly, 79% of all customers, and 81% of women, report that they could not have afforded a device without M-KOPA, indicating that affordability remains a greater barrier for women. To address this, the company is expanding its refurbished phone program, which is already proving effective in reducing the gender gap in digital access.
Leveraging over a decade of payment data and AI-driven analytics, M-KOPA now processes over 1.5 million payments daily, each creating a data point that builds a credit history for customers invisible to conventional banking. Its customers are predominantly young, urban, and peri-urban earners, with 62% under the age of 35 and half living on less than US$5.50 a day. For these groups, M-KOPA’s collateral-free, no-guarantor model provides an entry point into financial services that were previously out of reach.
Through daily payments, customers not only gain access to smartphones but also build a credit profile that unlocks other services such as digital loans, health insurance, and bundled data packages. The launch of its “More Than a Phone” platform in 2024 integrated affordable data, device protection, and embedded services, creating a foundation for long-term financial inclusion.
M-KOPA also operates a smartphone assembly plant in Nairobi. The facility produced 2 million smartphones in 2025, employs over 400 workers, and is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards. By assembling and refurbishing devices locally, M-KOPA reduces import costs, supports regional supply chains, and lowers its carbon footprint.
Since its inception, M-KOPA has disbursed more than $2 billion in credit to 7 million customers, expanded into insurance and e-mobility, and continues to invest in circular economy initiatives like refurbishment to reduce e-waste. With Sub-Saharan Africa still facing a 60% mobile usage gap (GSMA, 2024), the company says its next ambition is to scale smartphone access further, close the gender gap, and expand digital inclusion for Everyday Earners across the continent.
M-KOPA operates in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, employing more than 2,000 full-time staff and 35,000 sales agents across its markets.
Hikmatu Bilali
