Mogo, East Africa’s leading motorcycle and smartphone financier, has partnered with technology company ZTE Corporation and RSC, ZTE’s phone distributor in Kenya, to expand access to quality, affordable handsets in Kenya,
The partnership targets consumers and small businesses seeking to participate in the country’s growing digital economy.
By combining ZTE’s device portfolio, RSC’s local distribution network and Mogo’s financing solutions, the collaboration seeks to address the upfront cost of smartphone ownership.
Through the partnership, customers can acquire selected ZTE smartphones, including the ZTE Blade V80 Max, with deposits starting from as low as KES 100 and repay the remaining balance through daily instalments over a period of up to 12 months.
Mogo reiterated its commitment to making smartphone ownership more accessible, particularly for everyday earners, entrepreneurs and underserved consumers, through flexible financing that reduces the burden of upfront costs.
“At Mogo, our promise is simple: to put the power of a quality smartphone within reach of every hardworking Kenyan, without the burden of paying the full cost upfront. We serve everyday earners, entrepreneurs and underserved consumers by making the technology they need accessible through affordable, flexible financing that fits their lives and ambitions.”
Smartphone Financing in Kenya: How the Mogo-ZTE Deal Works
The partnership comes a year after Mogo entered the smartphone market, having enabled more than 400 to acquire quality, affordable devices through financing arrangements that allow customers to spread payments over time.
Under the new arrangement, customers can access selected ZTE smartphones by making an initial deposit and spreading the remaining cost over daily instalments for up to 12 months.
Additionally, applications are processed in less than 20 minutes, subject to verification and approval, while repayments can be managed through the Mogo app.
To apply, customers need a national identity card and a six-month M-Pesa statement. They can then select their preferred device at a participating Mogo shop.
The financing model is intended to reduce the upfront cost of smartphone ownership, allowing customers to acquire devices without having to pay the full purchase price at once.
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Addressing the Affordability Gap
The partnership comes amid growing smartphone adoption in Kenya, although the cost of acquiring a device remains a barrier for many consumers.
Kenya had 52.3 million smartphones connected to mobile networks as at June 2026, compared with 27.4 million feature phones.
According to the Communications Authority of Kenya. Smartphone connections rose by 4.2 per cent between March and June, while feature-phone connections declined by 3.9 per cent.
Despite this growth, affordability continues to influence smartphone ownership. A GSMA study found that 85 per cent of respondents who did not own smartphones cited affordability as the main obstacle.
The growing use of instalment-based purchasing reflects efforts by consumers to manage the cost of acquiring products.
Similarly, the 2024 FinAccess Household Survey found that the number of Kenyans using hire purchase or lipa mdogo mdogo arrangements increased from 579,242 in 2021 to nearly 1.75 million in 2024.
Beyond communication, smartphones have become important tools for accessing digital services, conducting business and participating in the online economy.
For small businesses and informal traders, they provide a platform to photograph products, advertise through social media, reach customers, receive orders and accept digital payments.
By offering financing options for smartphone purchases, the Mogo-ZTE arrangement seeks to address one of the barriers preventing some consumers and small businesses from accessing these opportunities.
How Mogo, ZTE and RSC Are Combining Technology and Financing
The partnership brings together three complementary business capabilities: ZTE’s smartphone technology and product portfolio, RSC’s local distribution network and Mogo’s device financing solutions.
Through the arrangement, ZTE and its Kenyan distributor, RSC, can extend the reach of their smartphone portfolio, while Mogo provides customers with an alternative way to finance their purchases.
The collaboration therefore connects device distribution with consumer financing, potentially making ZTE smartphones accessible to a wider customer base.
Speaking at the launch, RSC Suppliers Limited CEO Omar Abdi said the partnership aims to help customers overcome the initial cost barrier and participate more fully in an increasingly digital economy.
“Our partnership with Mogo is about making reliable smartphones more accessible to more Kenyans. By combining ZTE’s devices with flexible financing, we aim to help customers overcome the initial cost barrier and participate more fully in an increasingly digital economy,” said Omar.
For the three companies, the collaboration presents an opportunity to combine their respective strengths in technology, distribution and financing while responding to the demand for more accessible smartphones in Kenya.
