Mogo, ZTE and RSC Partner to Expand Affordable Smartphone Access in Kenya

Mogo  has partnered with ZTE Corporation  and its Kenyan phone distributor, RSC,  to expand access to affordable smartphones in Kenya through flexible device financing.

Under the partnership, customers can acquire ZTE smartphones, including the ZTE Blade V80 Max, with an initial deposit starting at KES 100 and pay the remaining balance in daily instalments over a period of up to 12 months. Applications are processed in less than 20 minutes, subject to verification and approval, while customers can manage repayments through the Mogo app.

To apply, customers must provide a national identity card and a six-month M-Pesa statement, then select their preferred device at a participating shop.

The partnership builds on Mogo’s entry into the smartphone financing market a year ago. The company said it has since helped more than 400,000 Kenyans acquire devices through payment arrangements that allow them to spread costs over time.

The initiative comes as smartphone adoption continues to grow in Kenya. Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya shows that the country had 52.3 million smartphones connected to mobile networks as of June 2026, compared with 27.4 million feature phones. Smartphone connections increased by 4.2 per cent between March and June, while feature-phone connections declined by 3.9 per cent.

However, the upfront cost of smartphones remains a barrier for many consumers. A GSMA study found that 85 per cent of respondents who did not own smartphones cited affordability as the main obstacle.

Mogo Kenya’s Commercial Manager for Device Financing, Pat Sharleen, said the partnership is intended to make quality smartphones more accessible to everyday earners, entrepreneurs and underserved consumers through flexible payment options.

RSC Chief Executive Officer Omar Abdi said combining ZTE’s device portfolio with Mogo’s financing arrangements would help customers overcome the initial cost of purchasing smartphones and participate more fully in the digital economy.

Smartphones are increasingly used by small businesses and informal traders to promote products online, communicate with customers, receive orders and accept digital payments.

The 2024 FinAccess Household Survey also found that the number of Kenyans using hire purchase or lipa mdogo mdogo payment arrangements increased from 579,242 in 2021 to nearly 1.75 million in 2024, indicating growing uptake of instalment-based financing.