Mogo Kenya has partnered with RSC Limited, the national distributor of ZTE smartphones in Kenya, to expand access to affordable smartphones through a financing arrangement that allows customers to acquire devices with an initial deposit of KES 2,500 and daily repayments of KES 100.
The partnership will see ZTE smartphones integrated into Mogo’s device financing platform, giving customers an opportunity to purchase devices without having to pay the full amount upfront. The offer will be available through Mogo’s network of approximately 3,000 dealers and retail outlets across the country.
Speaking during the partnership launch, Pat Sharleen, Head of Retail and Commercial at Mogo Kenya, said the collaboration addresses two key issues: access to smartphones and affordability, particularly as device prices continue to rise.
“Access is through the partnerships that we already have with our retailers and dealers across the country. We have about 3,000 dealers where customers can walk in and get a phone with financing through Mogo. Access is also about giving customers the power to get the smartphones they desire at an affordable price,” said Sharleen.
She noted that the increasing cost of smartphones continues to place pressure on consumers, making flexible financing an important option for people who need devices for personal and professional use. “That’s why Mogo is here, to ensure that we’re bridging the gap between access and affordability,” she added.
The partnership is also expected to support small and medium-sized businesses, entrepreneurs and young people who increasingly rely on smartphones to participate in the digital economy.
According to Sharleen, access to smartphones can create opportunities for individuals to generate additional income through online businesses, content creation and digital platforms while also supporting access to education.
“The digital economy is growing at a very exponential rate. Nobody wants to be left behind. We have youngsters who are getting into TikTok and Instagram, wanting to sell a product. But remember, this is someone who may not be able to afford a smartphone,” she said.
“We are making sure that we are enablers of our customers being tapped into the digital economy so that they can earn an extra income. They can study through the smartphones that they have.”
Under the arrangement, customers will be able to access different ZTE smartphone models, including entry-level, mid-range and gaming devices. The KES 2,500 initial deposit and KES 100 daily repayments are intended to make smartphone ownership more accessible to customers who may otherwise struggle with the upfront purchase cost.
Sharleen said the partnership gives customers an opportunity to choose devices that suit their needs while accessing financing through Mogo’s retail network.
“ZTE is a popular brand. We know it from the era of feature phones. But now we have smartphones, from entry-level and mid-level to even gaming phones. This partnership means that there’s that client who wanted to buy a smartphone, but it’s not affordable. Now, we have given them the platform whereby they can buy a smartphone and walk into any of our partnered retail stores and walk out with a phone for as little as KES 2,500, with daily payments of KES 100,” she said.
For RSC Limited, the partnership provides an opportunity to strengthen ZTE’s presence in Kenya’s competitive smartphone market by combining its device portfolio with an established financing and distribution network.
RSC Limited Chief Executive Officer Omar Abdi said the company is looking to build on its recent growth in the market. According to Abdi, ZTE’s device sales grew by 240 per cent in 2025, with the company targeting to double that growth by 2027.
The collaboration also aligns with Mogo’s wider ambitions in the device financing market. Sharleen said the company is targeting to finance one million devices within the next 12 months, with the possibility of achieving the milestone in as little as six months.
“That means one million customers who already believe in our product. Forward-looking, it means that we want to create the frameworks, the structures, the processing, the products and the technology that will help us get to one million devices in the next year, or even six months,” she said.
The company plans to continue investing in its systems, products and technology to support the expansion of its device financing operations and reach more customers.
The Mogo-ZTE partnership comes as smartphones become increasingly important tools for commerce, communication, education and access to digital services. By combining ZTE’s range of devices with Mogo’s financing network, the companies are seeking to lower the financial barriers to smartphone ownership and bring more consumers and businesses into the digital economy.
