Tuesday 20 January, 2026
As mobile money has expanded across low- and middle-income countries, access to credit delivered via mobile money accounts has increased. Digital credit has become an important tool for managing short-term cash flow, smoothing consumption, responding to financial shocks, and enabling larger purchases or investments, particularly for customers without access to traditional banking services.
The availability and uptake of digital credit products have grown rapidly in recent years. However, this growth has also raised concerns around affordability, repayment terms, consumer protection, and financial health. In some markets, innovation in digital lending has outpaced regulatory frameworks, increasing the risk of consumer harm and over-indebtedness.
This report examines how digital credit can be scaled in ways that support improved financial health. It draws on market data, regulatory developments, and examples from across the mobile money ecosystem to explore emerging lending models, the role of partnerships between mobile money providers, banks, and fintechs, and the use of alternative data to assess creditworthiness.
The insights in this report also highlight the importance of responsible product design, transparent pricing, effective regulation, and strong consumer protection. Implemented in a coordinated manner, these approaches can help ensure that digital credit contributes to financial inclusion while supporting more resilient financial outcomes.
