01
Register with your phone
Step 1
Save together. Grow together.
Run your chama or merry-go-round with clarity,
trust, and control.
A modern platform built for East African savings groups. Manage contributions, loans, payouts, and group decisions — all in one transparent place.
12K+
Members saving together
Trusted by real groups running their chamas and merry-go-rounds transparently, together.
2.4K
Groups created
50M+
Pooled and saved
98%
On-time contributions
How it works
From phone number to a running group in minutes
No bank account, no documents. Get started the way a real chama does — together.
02
Create or join a group
Step 2
03
Agree your rules
Step 3
04
Contribute & transact
Step 4
Two ways to save
Pick the model your
group already knows
Run a chama that pools and lends, or a merry-go-round that rotates the pot. Either way, the rules are yours.
Table banking · Pooled savings & lending
Chama
Save together, lend to each other, and grow the pool with interest.
- Members contribute regularly into one shared pool.
- The pool funds loans to members, with interest.
- Interest grows the pool; profits are shared at cycle close.
- Best for groups that want to save and borrow.
ROSCA · Rotating payout
Merry-go-round
Everyone pays in the same amount; the whole pot rotates to one member each cycle.
- Every member contributes the same fixed amount each cycle.
- The full pot is paid out to one member per cycle.
- Payouts rotate until everyone has received once, then repeat.
- Best for disciplined saving toward a lump sum.
Key Features
Powerful tools for modern groups
Everything you need to save, grow and manage your group — in one place.
M-Pesa & manual recording
Collect contributions with an M-Pesa prompt or record cash by hand. Mobile-money and offline payments live side by side in one history.
Every payment. Every time.
Always recorded.
Two savings models
Run a chama (pool savings, lend to members) or a merry-go-round (rotate the whole pot each cycle). Pick what fits your group.
Chama
Pool savings & loans
Merry-go-round
Rotate & take turns
✓
One platform.
Two trusted ways to save.
Loans with your rules
Lend the pool with flat or reducing-balance interest, optional guarantors, and approval by an officer or a member vote — all configurable.
✓
Flexible. Fair.
Fully configurable.
Built for groups
◉ Transparent
♙ Accountable
♧ Together
Elections that build trust
Run secure officer elections and member votes right in the platform. Every vote counts.
✓
Fair elections.
Stronger groups.
Why groups choose Chama
Built for the way you already
save together
Chama is built around the way East African communities already save — adding honesty, clarity, and modern money movement without changing what works.
Transparency
LEARN MORE One transparent ledger
Every contribution, loan, repayment, and payout lives in an append-only, shared record. Nothing is edited after the truth; members can verify the numbers themselves.
Accessibility
LEARN MORE Free for your group
Chama is free for groups. It's funded by responsible, clearly-labelled ads from financial partners — never by selling or sharing member data.
Privacy
LEARN MORE Private by design
Identity is just a verified phone number. No ID uploads, no bureaucracy, and no third parties touching your financial activity.
Flexibility
LEARN MORE Works online and offline
Collect via M-Pesa or record cash by hand; both sit in the same history and sync when you are back on the network.
Governance
LEARN MORE Your group, your rules
Elect officers, assign roles, and vote on loans and payouts. Roles update as your group decides — never baked into the app.
Built for groups
LEARN MORE Made for chama & merry-go-round
Run a pooled-lending chama or a rotating merry-go-round, with cycles and share-outs that match your tradition.
Questions
Quick answers
Do I need a bank account or an ID to use this?
No. You register with just your phone number and a one-time SMS code. There is no email, no paperwork, and no identity documents to upload — your group vouches for its members.
How do we start a group?
One person creates the group, chooses whether it is social or savings, and invites others by phone number or a shareable link. A savings group then picks a chama or a merry-go-round model.
Does it work offline?
Yes. The app is installable and keeps working without a connection. The treasurer can record cash payments offline, and everything syncs safely once you are back online — without ever double-posting.
How does money move?
Contributions and loan repayments can be collected with an M-Pesa prompt, and payouts can be sent straight to members. When mobile money is not used, the treasurer records cash or a transfer by hand.
Ready to run your group the modern way?
Create your account in minutes and bring your group along.
