Simple first
If it doesn't work on a basic smartphone with patchy data, it isn't finished.
Our mission is to give every informal trader the tools a formal business takes for granted: digital payments, reliable supply and access to credit.
Why Chuma
Busy businesses, but no record of it.
Spaza shops, salons, car washes and street vendors serve millions of South Africans every day. Yet most of this trade happens in cash, so it leaves no record. To a bank, these businesses don't exist.
Chuma changes that. We're building a simpler way for traders to run their business and build a record of their success.
The name says it all. In isiXhosa, chuma means to grow, to flourish, to bear fruit. That is the kind of growth we want for every trader and the community around them.
What we believe
Our principles.
Traders own their data
Nothing is shared without the trader's consent.
Trust is earned
We'll only work with licensed partners, and we protect traders' data under POPIA.
Built with the community
We design alongside traders, not just for them.