The lockbox
Three keys become three approvals.
Your chair, treasurer and secretary each hold a digital key. No payout or loan moves until two of them agree.
For chamas, VICOBA & savings groups
Save for the rainy day. Together.
Mwavuli keeps your group's contributions, loans and meeting records in one ledger every member can see. No lost notebook. No guessing who paid.
Free for groups up to 15 members. English and Swahili.
Built on how groups already work
The lockbox, the notebook and the meeting. Now in your pocket.
Mwavuli does not change your group's rules. It keeps the three things every chama and VICOBA already trusts, and makes them visible to everyone.
The notebook
One ledger everyone can read.
Every shilling in and out is timestamped and shared with all members the moment the treasurer records it.
The meeting
Minutes that write themselves.
Attendance, decisions and fines are saved as you go, and members without smartphones get an SMS receipt.
01 · Contributions
Every payment, every week, in one place.
Set your amount and meeting day once. Mwavuli builds the calendar, tracks who has paid and runs the merry-go-round order for you.
- Weekly savings or merry-go-round, or both in the same group.
- Cash or mobile money. The treasurer records cash at the meeting in two taps.
- Friendly reminders by SMS the day before, so nobody has to chase.
02 · Loans
Loans by your rules, approved by your keyholders.
Members ask from the app. Your officials approve with their keys. Mwavuli works out the repayments at the rate your group agreed and tracks every instalment.
- Two of three approvals before any loan or payout is recorded.
- Your interest, your limits. Flat or reducing, capped at a multiple of savings.
- Repayment schedule shared with the borrower and the whole group.
03 · Records
Minutes, statements and receipts, without the paperwork.
The secretary records the meeting as it happens. At share-out time, every member's statement is already done.
- Attendance and decisions saved with the date and who recorded them.
- SMS receipts for members on basic phones, in Swahili or English.
- Export to PDF or spreadsheet for your bank, your auditor or your own files.
How it works
Running in one meeting.
Setting up takes about fifteen minutes at the start of a normal meeting.
1
Create your group
The chair adds the group name, the contribution amount, the meeting day and your rules for loans and fines.
Already have records? Type in each member's savings to date, or upload a spreadsheet.
2
Invite your members
Add members by phone number and give three of them keys. Members on basic phones are added too and get SMS.
Each member signs in with a PIN on their own phone.
3
Record every meeting
The treasurer records contributions as they come in. Everyone sees the same numbers before they leave the room.
No network at the meeting? It saves offline and syncs later.
Security & trust
What Mwavuli does, and what it doesn't.
Groups run on trust. So here is exactly how the app protects it, in plain words.
We never hold your money
Your group's money stays where it is today: in the lockbox, in your group bank account or in your mobile money wallet. Mwavuli keeps the record and asks for approvals. It is a record-keeping app, not a bank or a lender, it never takes deposits, and it makes no claim to hold a financial licence.
Two of three keys
Loans, payouts and changes to roles need approval from two of your three keyholders, just like the physical lockbox.
Nothing hidden
Every member sees the same ledger. Entries cannot be deleted, only corrected, and every correction shows who made it and when.
PIN on every phone
Each member signs in with their phone number and a private PIN. A lost phone can be locked out by the officials.
Your data leaves with you
Export everything at any time. If your group closes its account, its records are deleted after you have downloaded them.
Pricing
One price per group. Not per member.
Start free. Move to the group plan when you need loans and more members.
Free
For new and small groups
TSh 0forever
No card or wallet needed.
- Up to 15 members
- Contributions and merry-go-round
- Shared ledger and meeting minutes
- Three-key approvals
- English and Swahili
Group plan
For established groups with loans
TSh 12,000per group, per month
About TSh 550 per member in a 22-member group.
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited members
- Loans, interest and repayment tracking
- 200 SMS receipts a month
- PDF and spreadsheet statements
Concept pricing for illustration. Pay by mobile money or card. Cancel any time and keep your records.
Download
Bring your group in out of the rain.
Install Mwavuli on the chair's phone first. Invite the others at your next meeting.
Questions
Questions groups ask first.
Does Mwavuli hold our group's money?
No. Your money stays in your lockbox, bank account or mobile money wallet. Mwavuli records what comes in and goes out, and asks your keyholders to approve payouts. It is not a bank and does not take deposits.
What about members who don't have a smartphone?
They are full members. The treasurer records their contributions, and they get an SMS receipt with their running total after every payment.
Can we keep our own rules?
Yes. You set the contribution amount, meeting day, merry-go-round order, fines, loan limits and interest. Changing a rule needs two of three keys, and the change is recorded.
What if the treasurer loses their phone?
Nothing is lost. Records are stored safely online, not on one phone. The other two keyholders lock the old phone and approve the treasurer's new one.
Does it work without internet at the meeting?
Yes. Contributions and minutes are saved on the phone and sync when the network comes back. Members see a note that the update is waiting to sync.
Which countries and currencies?
Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, in shillings for each. The app is in English and Swahili.
Talk to us
Want help setting up your group?
Tell us about your group and we will walk your officials through the first meeting.
hello@mwavuli.example
Support Monday to Saturday, 08:00–20:00 EAT