Standard Chartered has launched SC Juza, a mobile application to serve the growing need for short-term, unsecured loans. The product is 100% digital, allowing clients to apply for loans ranging from KES 1,000 to KES 100,000 with a two-month loan term – a convenient, flexible financial product for day-to-day use.
Features of SC Juza
Key Features of SC Juza
- Digital Accessibility: SC Juza provides an entirely digital, end-to-end loan application process. Clients can thus access credit in an easy-to-use manner available in mobile wallets.
- Flexible Loan Amounts: Clients can borrow between KES 1,000 and KES 100,000 to suit diverse financial needs.
- Interest on Usage: Interest is only charged for the days that the loan is held, encouraging early repayment and in turn, reducing borrowing costs.
- Transparent Charges: The app has clear, transparent, and visible loan service charges, with a processing fee of 5.5% and an interest rate of 1.6% per month.
User Experience and Feedback
The app has been tested for one month, and through its testing phase, the following was noted.
- Over 13,346 clients attempted to register.
- 88% of them secured loans from the app.
- The average loan amount was KES 10,000.
Securities Availed in SC Juza
SC Juza has incorporated the following securities to protect its customers from fraud.
- SIM Swap Detection – their technology has incorporated a SIM swap outage check to detect fraudulent SIM swaps.
- Identity Verification – the app has integrated the Integrated Population Registration Services (IPRS) to validate the identity of the user.
- Phone Number Validation – the app undertakes confirmation from Safaricom that the phone number has been active for over six months.
- Credit Check – they’ve partnered with Credit Reference Bureaus in performing credit checks to improve their security system.
APPLICATION AND ACCESS
The clients can access this app by downloading the ‘SC Juza App’on their phones. The client must have a proven track record in loans by demonstrating a timely repayment record, a six-months M-PESA history, among other minimal requirements. Loan and processing of the advance is done and reversed into clients’ mobile wallets within seconds.
WHY SC JUZA
“SC Juza represents the continued evolution of our digitisation strategy. We hope to expand on the gains we have seen in our market with mobile lending products by offering a comprehensive solution that is highly inclusive. In addition, SC Juza will allow our clients to borrow with dignity, in line with our ambition to uplift participation in the financial ecosystem for the underserved,” explained Kariuki Ngari, MD & Chief Executive Officer for Kenya and Africa at Standard Chartered.