PAIDEK sa

What PAIDEK sa does

PAIDEK sa is a regulated microfinance institution (Société Anonyme) headquartered in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo, operating under a license from the Banque Centrale du Congo (BCC) granted in 2012. Founded in 1993 as the Programme Crédit Zaïre under SOS Faim/Belgique and reincorporated in 2005, PAIDEK operates a network of 9 branches across the Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Maniema provinces, with 26,295 active beneficiaries and a loan portfolio of $10.8M as of December 2024.

The institution's core business is sector-specific microcredit for populations excluded from traditional banking. PAIDEK offers a suite of credit products segmented by economic activity — Crédit Agriculture et Élevage, Crédit Express, Crédit Transport, Crédit aux micro-entreprises, Crédit habitat, Crédit Commerce, Crédit à l'éducation (with sub-products ADA SHULE and CREDIT MWALIMU/CREDIT SHULE) and Crédit Énergie — supported by inter-agency services and a savings product (Épargne KIMYA) currently in test phase across 5 of 9 branches. Revenue is generated primarily through interest on microloans extended to underserved smallholder farmers, micro-entrepreneurs, traders, parents financing education, and operators in transport, energy and artisanal production. Pricing is interest-rate based and not publicly disclosed.

Distribution combines physical branch banking with a newly launched mobile channel. PAIDEK CASH, a mobile application released in January 2026 and currently available in Bukavu and Kadutu, extends the institution into digital financial services including instant transfers, bill payments, mobile recharges, and account management. The institution reported 133.2% operational self-sufficiency and a 3.8% Portfolio at Risk over 30 days as of December 2024, indicating a profitable and well-managed credit book. External funding support comes from a November 2023 financing partnership with the Fonds National de la Microfinance (FNM), supplementing internally generated capital.

Name

PAIDEK sa

Legal name

PAIDEK sa

Website

https://paideksa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PAIDEK sa is a BCC-regulated microfinance institution headquartered in Bukavu, DRC, operating 9 branches across Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Maniema to deliver sector-specific microcredit, savings and mobile banking (PAIDEK CASH) to underserved populations excluded from traditional banking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microfinance

NAICS

Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218)

SIC

Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered (6036)

akta.pro primary industry

Merchant Cash Advance & Payment-linked Lending (CRAFALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Payouts, Disbursements & Mass Payments Infrastructure (FSAGABAN)

Keywords

• Microfinance services
• Microcredit lending
• Savings products
• Mobile banking
• Financial inclusion

Headquarters

HQ city

Bukavu

HQ country

Congo - Kinshasa

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Microcredit Services: PAIDEK generates revenue primarily through interest on microloans extended to underserved populations for various purposes including agriculture, livestock, transport, commerce, housing, energy, education, and micro-industries. The institution offers multiple credit products tailored to specific sectors and borrower profiles.
2. Savings (Épargne) Services: Savings deposits from customers, currently in test phase across 5 of 9 agencies. Offers a sight savings product managed through current accounts. Mobilizes customer deposits as a funding source for lending operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PAIDEK sa is a BCC-licensed microfinance institution that extends collateral-light microcredit and accepts deposits from underserved individuals and micro-entrepreneurs in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It distributes sector-specific loan products (agriculture, livestock, transport, commerce, housing, energy, education, micro-industry) and savings through 9 physical branches and the PAIDEK CASH mobile application.

Product overview

PAIDEK sa is a microfinance institution operating as a unified platform offering multiple financial products and services. The core offering includes PAIDEK CASH (mobile banking application) for digital financial services, plus diverse credit products (Crédit Express, Crédit Énergie, Crédit habitat, Crédit Transport, Crédit Commerce, Crédit à l'éducation, Crédit aux micro-entreprises, Crédit Agriculture et Élevage, Crédit à l'élevage), inter-agency services, and savings products (Épargne KIMYA). These products collectively serve populations excluded from traditional banking in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Kivu region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PAIDEK CASH: Mobile application for digital financial services including instant transfers, secure payments, account management, and savings and borrowing features, launched in Bukavu and Kadutu agencies.

Products and services

• PAIDEK CASH Mobile application providing 100% digital financial services — instant transfers, secure payments, bill payments, mobile recharges, account management, savings, and borrowing facilities — for entrepreneurs, traders, and families in South-Kivu currently available in the Bukavu and Kadutu agencies.
• Crédit Express Quick loan product for financing urgent projects, including customs clearance, land purchase, service prefinancing, food and non-food supplies, and vehicle purchase, for underserved individuals and micro-entrepreneurs.
• Crédit Énergie Energy-sector financing for solar lamps, solar panels, solar mills, solar appliances, connection services, mini hydroelectric dams, photovoltaic equipment, and solar heating systems, for households and energy entrepreneurs.
• Crédit Habitat Housing and construction credit for land purchase, construction, finishing, and home improvement, targeted at households without access to traditional mortgage products.
• Crédit Transport Transport-sector financing for fuel sales, canoe fabrication, vehicle repair, motorcycles, and vehicle/motorcycle purchases, for transport operators and small mobility businesses.
• Crédit Commerce Small-commerce support loans for food products, restaurants, butcheries, pharmacies, varied goods sales, electronic devices, and local construction materials, aimed at small traders and informal merchants.
• Crédit à l'éducation (ADA SHULE) — including sub-products CREDIT MWALIMU and CREDIT SHULE Education credit product family for salaried and non-salaried parents to pay school and university fees, school supplies, boarding, and education-related expenses (ADA SHULE). Sub-products include CREDIT MWALIMU (dedicated to teachers for construction, children's education, school equipment, and consumption) and CREDIT SHULE (for private school promoters and universities for construction, improvements, fixed assets, scientific equipment, school buses, and working capital including teacher salaries).
• Crédit aux Micro-Entreprises Micro-industry loans for soap making, bakery, carpentry, fruit juice production, tomato juice, corn mills, and pulping equipment, for artisanal producers and small-scale manufacturers.
• Crédit Agriculture et Élevage Agricultural and livestock financing focused on coffee (Idjwi island), rice (Ruzizi plain), and red onion (Kabare) sectors, plus small-livestock support, for smallholder farmers in the Kivu region.
• Crédit à l'Élevage Livestock credit for small livestock including chickens, rabbits, pigs, and goats, dedicated to small-scale livestock keepers in the Kivu region.
• Interagence Inter-agency service allowing clients with accounts at one PAIDEK branch to make deposits or withdrawals at any other PAIDEK branch, providing unified liquidity access across the 9-branch network.
• Épargne KIMYA Demand-deposit savings product managed through current accounts, currently in test phase across 5 of 9 branches, mobilizing customer deposits to fund PAIDEK's lending operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 133.2% operational self-sufficiency (December 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• FEC (Fédération des Entreprises du Congo)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2025PAIDEK's Head of Partnerships and Business Development participated in an exchange workshop between PFCGL and FEC in Bukavu, aimed at strengthening collaboration between economic actors and local development initiatives.
• World Bank / PFCIGL (Projet de Facilitation du Commerce et Intégration dans la Région des Grands-Lacs)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024PAIDEK's Director General participated in exchange meetings with World Bank experts and microfinance institutions on the topic of women's empowerment and structuring credit for women traders. Organized at Hotel Sérena in Goma.
• Opportunity InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024PAIDEK participated in the 2024 Global Conference on Education Financing organized by Opportunity International in Arusha, Tanzania. Over 156 participants from 26 countries attended. PAIDEK's Deputy Director General represented the institution.
• ANIMF (Association Nationale des Institutions de Microfinance)minorOthers · 28 October 2023PAIDEK is a member of ANIMF, the national microfinance association in DRC. Participated in International Savings Day (JIE) 2023 celebrations organized by ANIMF across the country, including financial literacy activities for women and youth entrepreneurs.
• MAIN (Microfinance African Institutions Network)coreOthers · 16 October 2023PAIDEK is a member of the MAIN network and participated in the African Microfinance Week (SAM) 2023 in Lomé. PAIDEK previously served as president of MAIN from 2015 to 2019 under the leadership of current PCA Mitima Mpanano Rémy. The network provides training, capacity building, and institutional support including a Master of Microfinance program at UCAC.
• SOS Faim/BelgiquecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993SOS Faim/Belgique was instrumental in the founding of PAIDEK, animating community actors in 1993 to organize credit actions for socio-economic self-promotion, leading to the Programme Crédit Zaire (PCZ) which evolved into PAIDEK in the Kivu region.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Advans Banque Congo: International microfinance group with a licensed microfinance subsidiary in DRC serving small entrepreneurs, directly comparable to PAIDEK's microcredit and savings mandate in the same regulatory environment.
• FINCA RDC: Microfinance institution operating in DRC focused on small entrepreneur lending and savings — closely comparable to PAIDEK's product set and target customer base.
• Baobab (formerly Baobab+): Digital-first microfinance group serving small merchants and micro-entrepreneurs across Africa, with a comparable blend of microcredit and digital delivery to underserved populations.
• Opportunity International: Global microfinance organization with education-finance and small-business lending programs in Africa; PAIDEK already participates in Opportunity International conferences and shares the financial-inclusion-for-education mission.

Others

• World Bank Group / IFC: Multilateral development finance institution and donor that funds microfinance capacity-building in DRC (and partners with PAIDEK via PFCIGL); ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• ProCredit Bank DRC: Development-oriented commercial bank active in DRC with a strong SME and smallholder lending focus; broader product set than PAIDEK but overlapping financial-inclusion mandate.
• Equity BCDC (Equity Bank Congo): Large Congolese commercial bank targeting SMEs, traders and salary earners; competes with PAIDEK for the same underserved urban and peri-urban client base in Kivu.
• Rawbank: Largest privately owned commercial bank in DRC, serving SMEs and individuals nationwide — a broader incumbent that overlaps with PAIDEK's small-business and consumer deposit space.
• Banque Populaire du Congo (BPC): Network of cooperative/cooperative-style banks in DRC serving small traders and informal-sector clients, providing alternative deposit and credit access overlapping with PAIDEK's mission.

Regional players

• ACME (Agence Congolaise de Microfinance et d'Épargne): DRC-based microfinance actor serving similar smallholder and micro-entrepreneur segments; comparable business model though operating footprint varies by region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/paidek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paidek

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PAIDEK sa