Digital platform Shukran aims at boosting Kenyans' savings culture
Shukran Sacco team speaks to service workers during an activation in Nairobi. PHOTO | POOL
Having a consistent saving culture can be challenging, especially with tough economic times.
It is for this reason that digital tipping platform Shukran has devised a way to instantly turn tips into savings, a move aimed at boosting the savings culture in Kenya’s vast service industry.
The new platform will see restaurant workers directly receive and save tips, get loans and earn dividends.
According to data by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the service industry contributed about 54.41 per cent of the Kenyan gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021.
The digital tipping platform, through the newly formed Shukran SACCO, is looking to capitalize on these significant numbers to grow savings among members in the service industry.
Shukran SACCO is a community-based SACCO that is dedicated to empowering service workers with the means to save and nurture their financial development.
“We want to empower service workers to earn a better living by giving them an opportunity to save and support their financial development. Through the Sacco, we are creating a community of financially empowered individuals who have access to affordable financial services and can achieve their financial goals,” said Mathenge Waweru.
According to Shukran’s co-founder and product lead, Mathenge Waweru, Shukran SACCO was started out of a need for the restaurant industry as a whole to have a unifying SACCO.
“As the Shukran team, we found it odd that teachers had a SACCO, farmers had one, police
had one, but the restaurant industry and staff did not. The goal is to bring all service workers in the restaurant and service industry at large, to save and grow together financially.
The new SACCO is expected to be a vehicle for service workers to save and invest in their financial goals as well as a digital SACCO that is convenient and easily accessible.
“On Monday 29th of May, we will be hosting our first AGM at 29 Westlands Avenue at 10.00am.
We invite all service workers from the restaurant industry to attend and listen to what Shukran SACCO has to offer.” said Faith Wanjiru, Marketing Manager.
“Most of the time, after I’ve offered proper service to my clients, they would want to appreciate me, either with Mpesa or cash. However, at the end of my shift, I would find it really hard to save my tips because of unexpected expenses that would come and I’m sure that this applies to the rest of my colleagues in the industry. Fortunately, I learnt about Shukran and I couldn’t believe that I could receive tips directly to my phone and save them directly to my SACCO account.” said Clarence, a service worker.
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