As the financial landscape evolves, Mali continues to refine and strengthen its commitment to responsible lending. Our focus has always been to offer credit that empowers rather than burdens customers. In line with this commitment, we have enhanced our assessment processes, customer support systems, and affordability checks to ensure that every loan we issue contributes positively to the borrower’s financial journey.

Responsible lending is at the heart of sustainable microfinance. It ensures that customers only take on commitments they can afford, helps prevent over-indebtedness, and promotes long-term financial health. Mali has always upheld these principles, but as our customer base expands to include both salaried and self-employed individuals, we have taken additional steps to make our processes even more robust.

One of the major improvements in our approach is the strengthening of our affordability assessments. Instead of relying on basic income verification, we now look deeper into each applicant’s financial behaviour. This includes understanding their income stability, spending patterns, existing commitments, and household responsibilities. By taking a more holistic view, we are able to offer credit that matches each client’s true financial capacity.

For self-employed borrowers, this approach is especially important. Many entrepreneurs do not have payslips or conventional employment documents, yet they earn consistent income through trading, services, or small businesses. To support them responsibly, Mali assesses alternative forms of income verification such as bank statements, wallet transactions, receipts, invoices, and trading history. This ensures fairness while protecting customers from taking on credit that might strain their finances.

In addition to improved assessments, we have strengthened our communication and transparency standards. Customers now receive clearer information about loan terms, repayment schedules, total costs, and their rights as borrowers. We believe that informed customers make better financial decisions, and our responsibility is to provide information in a simple and understandable way.

Another critical part of responsible lending is safe repayment management. Mali uses DebiCheck, a secure and authorised debit system that protects customers from unauthorised deductions. This ensures that repayments are made correctly, with the customer’s full consent, and in a manner that aligns with South African regulations. By using DebiCheck, we protect both the customer and the integrity of the credit process.

We have also improved our internal monitoring systems. Our team closely reviews repayment patterns and customer progress to ensure that borrowers do not fall into financial difficulty. Where necessary, we engage with customers early to provide guidance, clarify concerns, or discuss solutions. Our goal is not just to issue loans, but to support customers throughout the entire credit cycle.

These updates reflect Mali’s understanding of the real challenges faced by South Africans today. Many households and small businesses depend on credit to manage essential needs, support education, repair homes, or grow income opportunities. Our responsibility is to make sure that such credit is safe, ethical, and aligned with each customer’s long-term well-being.

Mali’s strengthened responsible-lending approach is a step forward in building a safer and more supportive microfinance environment. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to fairness, transparency, and the financial stability of every person we serve. We believe that credit should uplift, restore dignity, and create opportunities — and we will continue refining our services to reflect this mission.