New app revolutionizes Botswana’s saving culture
In a bold blend of tradition and technology, two entrepreneurs have reinvented the popular motshelo culture, bringing it into the digital age through the Motshelo Mobile App, a homegrown innovation transforming the way Batswana save and lend money.
The Motshelo Mobile App has taken the traditional concept of communal savings and brought it into the digital age, allowing users to save, lend, and track contributions securely and conveniently from their smart phones.
At the heart of this innovation is Munyaradzi Chikono, the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Motshelo Mobile (Pty) Ltd, the company behind the app.
A visionary ICT engineer originally from Zimbabwe, Chikono moved to Botswana in 2008 and soon established his first ICT business, specialising in software and hardware solutions.
With a degree in Applied Information Technology from the University of Zimbabwe, he brings both technical expertise and business acumen to the venture.
He is joined by Gabriel Kanjabanga, an attorney and businessman who serves as Co-Founder and Chairperson of Motshelo Mobile. Kanjabanga has practised law in Botswana for over three decades and is the founder of Kanjabanga & Associates. He is known for his broad business interests that extend into ICT, construction and mining.
The idea for Motshelo Mobile began in 2013 when Chikono’s wife served as a treasurer for a motshelo group. After witnessing the challenges of manual record-keeping, from misplaced books to endless disputes over contributions, Chikono saw a need for a digital solution.
“Stories like ‘buka e jelwe ke dipeba’ were common. Books would get lost, records misplaced, and people would argue about who contributed what and how much they were owed,” explained Chikono.
Determined to provide a lasting solution, Chikono conceptualised a mobile application that would automate record keeping, calculate contributions accurately, and distribute funds directly to each member’s account at the end of the cycle.
“Motshelo Mobile records transactions permanently for up to twenty years. It acts as an accounting system for metshelo, keeping everything transparent and secure,” he explains.
The journey to bring this idea to life began in 2017. Before developing the platform, Chikono and his team approached two key regulators the Non-Bank Financial Institutions Regulatory Authority (NBFIRA) and the Bank of Botswana to seek guidance and ensure compliance.
NBFIRA advised that metshelo did not fall under their jurisdiction but referred them to the Bank of Botswana, which agreed to supervise their operations.
The team then registered Motshelo Mobile (Pty) Ltd in February 2018.
The team’s tenacity and determination led to the launch of the first version of the Motshelo Mobile App on the Google Play Store in December 2019. The launch was in partnership with Botswana Post to provide cash-in and cash-out services across the country, ensuring that users could easily move between digital and physical transactions.
Security plays a huge role in the design of Motshelo Mobile. The platform is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), one of the most secure cloud environments in the world. Every transaction is encrypted, and the app uses double authentication for all users. Being licensed under the Bank of Botswana’s Electronic Payment Services (EPS) regulations also adds an extra layer of protection, with continuous checks to ensure compliance.
For users, the process is simple. The app is downloaded from the Google Play Store, and registration requires only proof of identity and proof of residence. Once verified, users can create or join motshelo groups and start saving.
Existing traditional savings groups can easily transition to the digital platform, maintaining their group structure but gaining automated calculations, digital records, and instant access to financial reports.
Since its launch, Motshelo Mobile has grown steadily and now boasts more than 14,000 active users, including many Batswana living abroad. Chikono says the app has helped bridge the distance between families and communities.
“We have families whose members live in Kanye, Mahalapye and Francistown, yet they manage their family motshelo through the app,” he explains. “They lend money to each other, earn interest and share profits at the end of the year. It has strengthened family ties while promoting financial discipline.”
The company’s journey has not been without setbacks. After being turned down twice for funding by the Botswana Innovation Hub, Motshelo Mobile approached the Ministry of Entrepreneurship in 2024 for support.
This led to an introduction to the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), which embraced the idea and offered the much-needed encouragement.
“The LEA branch manager who reached out to us gave us hope after several disappointments,” Chikono says.
Looking ahead, Motshelo Mobile intends to expand its operations into South Africa by 2027, introduce new payment channels in 2025, and launch an insurance product by September next year.
By 2028, the goal is to operate across the SADC region. In the short term, users can look forward to the introduction of a Visa Card and two new features set to launch later in the coming months.
Beyond business, Motshelo Mobile app team has launched social initiatives to empower Batswana economically.
Through group savings, users have jointly purchased a 20-hectare plot in Gabane for P1 million to tackle high housing costs.
Furthermore the team recently partnered with Ministry of Water and Human settlement though the Bonno housing scheme to help Batswana build 200 houses through the motshelo model.
As Botswana continues its journey towards a digital economy, Motshelo digital app stands as proof that homegrown innovation can preserve culture while propelling the nation into the future.
