Mogo, ZTE offer Kenyans smartphones from KES100 deposit
Device financier Mogo has partnered with ZTE Corporation and its Kenyan distributor, RSC, to let Kenyan customers buy ZTE smartphones with a deposit of as little as KES100 (less than US$1).
Under the deal, customers can buy devices including the ZTE Blade V80 Max and pay off the balance in daily instalments over up to 12 months.
According to Mogo, the application process takes less than 20 minutes, subject to verification and approval. Applicants must present their national ID and a six-month M-Pesa statement at participating retail outlets, and they manage repayments through the Mogo app.
The partnership targets one of the main barriers to smartphone adoption in Kenya. A GSMA study found that 85% of respondents without smartphones cited cost as the main reason.
Smartphone use is nonetheless growing. According to the Communications Authority of Kenya, smartphone connections reached 52.3 million in June 2026, compared with 27.4 million feature phone connections. Smartphone connections grew by 4.2% between March and June, while feature phone connections fell by 3.9%.
Pat Sharleen, commercial manager for device financing at Mogo Kenya, said the partnership aims to make quality smartphones more accessible to everyday earners, entrepreneurs and underserved consumers through flexible payment options.
Omar Abdi, CEO of RSC, said combining ZTE’s devices with Mogo’s financing would help customers overcome the upfront cost of a smartphone and take a fuller part in the digital economy.
Growing device finance market
Mogo entered Kenya’s smartphone financing market a year ago. It says it has since helped more than 400,000 customers buy devices through instalment plans.
The model is increasingly relevant to small businesses and informal traders, who rely on smartphones to market products, communicate with customers, take orders and process digital payments.
Kenya’s device financing market is competitive. Mogo joins players including M-KOPA and Safaricom’s Lipa Mdogo Mdogo in offering pay-as-you-go smartphone plans.
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