ABOUT SAVE

SAVE is a digital wallet solution for savings groups in Rwanda. SAVE was developed by Exuus, a subsidiary of DreamStart Labs.

SAVE includes two key components:

• SAVE App – an easy-to-use application for Android or iOS smartphones that lets urban users form  savings  groups,  access  loans,  and  make payments

• SAVE USSD (unstructured supplementary service data) – a digital wallet solution for feature phones that lets rural savings groups eliminate their cashbox and conduct all transactions over mobile money.

HOW IT WORKS

For rural savings groups, SAVE requires every member to have a basic feature phone. Instead of bringing cash to the meeting, members access a simple USSD menu on their phones where they can save, request loans, and make loan payments any day and anytime. The majority of SAVE groups still meet in person for social benefits, but it is no longer necessary to collect and distribute money in a physical cashbox. For urban users, SAVE is also available as a smartphone application. In addition to all the features of the USSD version, SAVE App users can use their personal digital wallets to make payments outside the group.

AVAILABILITY

SAVE supports all popular savings group models and is the most widely used digital savings group solution in Rwanda. It is available in both Kinyarwanda and English and works with all mobile money systems in Rwanda.

SAVE BENEFITS

• Eliminate the cashbox. With SAVE, all transactions are conducted via mobile money. Groups no longer need to carry, count, distribute, and store cash.

• Anytime, anywhere transactions. SAVE users can now save money or repay loans whenever it is convenient, without waiting for the next meeting. Saving money as soon as it is available also helps members build good habits and increases overall savings rates.
• Free group transactions. Unlike standalone mobile money transactions, all transactions within a SAVE group are free to members.
• Earn interest on group savings. Unlike cash deposits sitting in a metal lockbox, deposits made in SAVE groups earn interest from our banking partners.
• Improves transparency. Members receive personalized meeting summaries and transaction receipts by SMS after each meeting, even if they did not attend in person.
• Improves financial literacy. Members demonstrate improved financial literacy after using SAVE, with the most significant gains coming from women.
• Motivates higher savings. SAVE motivates higher savings through individual and groups goals, fun awards, graphics, and gamified achievements.
• Accelerates loan repayments. Awards, reminders, and nudges lead to faster repayment time on member loans.
• Credit scores and bank linkages. Builds data-driven credit scores and makes it easy to link to banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) for formal credit.
• In-app messages and surveys. Non- governmental organization (NGO) partners can send messages and surveys to remote groups directly through SAVE. Survey data is collected automatically and correlated with member financial and demographic data.
• Automatic data collection. As groups meet, data is securely backed up to the cloud where it can be viewed and analyzed by authorized partners on SAVE Dashboard.
• Security and data privacy. SAVE uses bank-grade security and privacy. Records cannot be accessed, viewed, or tampered with. Data belongs to members and is never shared without explicit permission (see Privacy Policy).