NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 30 – Shortlist, a talent advisory firm, has partnered with Twiva, an influencer-powered social commerce platform, to offer zero-interest loans for influencers seeking to acquire content creation gadgets.
The financing facility will cover the acquisition of devices such as cameras, laptops, and mobile phones.
The collaboration opens up an affordable avenue for micro and nanoinfluencers, earning at least Sh10,000 per month, to acquire high-quality devices.
Twiva, with over 11,000 influencers, aims to empower the youth by bridging the gap between digital opportunities and the talent pool across Kenya.
Peter Kironji, CEO and co-founder at Twiva, stated the structured payment plan will help content creators plan their finances effectively and acquire the devices they desire more conveniently after paying a minimum of 15 percent of the device’s total cost as a down payment.
“Many young individuals in the content creation arena face the challenge of inconsistent income, making it difficult for them to afford coveted gadgets like the iPhone 14 or 15, or the MacBook they aspire to own,” Kironji said.
“To address this, we’re providing them with an opportunity to contribute a minimum of 15% and repay the remaining amount over the course of a year,” he added.
Head of Marketing and PR at Twiva Grace Gikonyo stated that content creators will not be exploited by agencies such as Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), as the firm’s payment plan is designed to accommodate their financial capacity in alignment with their income levels.
“Through extensive market research conducted among our pool of 11,000 influencers, we discovered that a majority rely on Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services,” she said.
“Interestingly, the utilization of BNPL leads to influencers spending nearly 80% more when opting to buy now, pay later services.”
Shortlist also targets providing formal employment opportunities for early-career professionals in the global digital economy through the Accelerating the Rise of Cloud Work in Kenya program.
The 3.5-year program, funded by the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), intends to create and enhance over 8,500 jobs in the cloud work sector to benefit youth.
“The surging popularity of BNPL services prompted us to initiate a pilot study on their usage. The study revealed that young consumers, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 35, exhibit the highest reliance on online BNPL services,” stated Austen Stranahan, Chief Operating Officer at Shortlist.
“The primary motivations cited by consumers for opting for these services included budget constraints, an inability to pay the full price of a product or service upfront, and a desire to avoid interest and fees.”
