AI member assistant for Saccos

Most of the calls and messages a Sacco office gets are the same few questions. What’s my balance? How much can I borrow? Has my loan been approved? Can I have a statement? Each one takes a member’s time and a staff member’s time, and after 5pm nobody answers at all.

An AI member assistant answers those questions on WhatsApp and your website, in English or Kiswahili, any time. It only shows a member’s details after it has checked who they are.

The demo uses Mfano Sacco, a made-up Sacco. Every member, balance and loan in it is a sample.

What it handles for members

• Balances and statementsDeposits, shares and loan balances, plus a mini statement, after the member verifies with their member number, ID digits and a one-time code.
• “How much can I borrow?”It works out loan limits from the member’s deposits and your loan rules, shows the monthly repayment, and explains which loans need guarantors.
• Loan applications and guarantorsMembers can start an application and request guarantors in the chat. Your credit team gets the application with the details filled in.
• Deposits and repayments by M-PesaIt sends an M-Pesa prompt to the member’s phone, with the money going to your own Paybill.
• Joining the SaccoProspective members get the requirements, fees and next steps, and your membership team gets their details.
• Fraud warningsIt reminds members that staff never ask for a PIN and that payments only go to your official Paybill, and flags anyone who reports a suspicious call.
• Notices and remindersAGM dates, dividend announcements and repayment reminders go out to members who’ve agreed to get them.

What your team gets

A dashboard shows conversations, logins, loan enquiries, applications, payments and fraud reports, with a weekly summary for management. Staff can step into any chat, and the assistant hands over whenever a member asks for a person or a question needs a decision.

Safety and data

• Members verify with a one-time code before seeing any account details, and accounts lock after repeated wrong codes.
• Staff never see or handle members’ PINs, and the assistant never asks for one.
• Member data is handled following the principles of Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019, and conversation logs can be exported for audits.
• It connects to your core banking system where that system allows it. Where it doesn’t, we start with the questions that don’t need live data and add account services in a second phase.

What it costs

Pricing depends on the number of members and which services connect to your system, so we quote after a short call. The general assistant tiers are on our pricing page. If your board needs quotations, company documents and LPO terms, we send a full pack; see for organisations.

Common questions

Do members need to download an app?

No. It works on WhatsApp, which most members already use, and on your website.

What about members who prefer Kiswahili?

The assistant replies in the language the member writes in, including a mix of English and Kiswahili.

Can we start small?

Yes. Many Saccos start with general questions, joining and loan information, then add balances and payments once they’re comfortable.

Further reading

• How to protect your members from payment scams using your name
• WhatsApp chatbots for Kenyan businesses: what they do and what they cost