SACCOs in the scroll era: recruiting young members with video

Kenya's savings and credit co-operatives are one of the country's quiet success stories. Teachers, farmers, boda riders, civil servants and traders have built homes, educated children and started businesses with SACCO savings and loans. Yet many SACCOs face the same worry: their members are getting older, and young workers are choosing digital lenders and mobile savings products instead.

Young Kenyans have not rejected saving. They have simply never been told the SACCO story in a way that reached them.

What young people want to know

A 24-year-old graphic designer, a nurse on her first job or a young mechanic asks practical questions:

• Why a SACCO and not just M-Shwari or a bank?
• How much do I need to start, and how much each month?
• How soon can I borrow, and how much?
• What are dividends and interest on deposits?
• Can I join and manage it on my phone?

Each of those is a short video.

Plain language, honest numbers

Financial content fails when it hides behind jargon. Explain one thing at a time, with simple examples. With Tari Studio, a SACCO's marketing officer can type /script with the length and the topic, for example "30 seconds: how saving 2,000 shillings a month in a SACCO can lead to a loan". The AI director writes timed scenes with lines and on-screen words.

Every figure, rate and rule must come from your own by-laws and current products, checked by your finance team before the video is made. The AI drafts the script; your SACCO owns its accuracy. Scripts are free. Scripts with /script.

Speak like your future members

Set the language of speech and on-screen words to English as Kenyans speak it, or the Kiswahili-English mix. A young audience tunes out formal corporate English quickly.

The Studio's AK2 model brings bold colour and music-led energy that suits TikTok and Reels; AK1 gives a grounded, real-life feel for member stories.

Real members tell it best

A young member who bought a plot or started a business with a SACCO loan is your best advert. Feature real members only with written consent, and do not exaggerate what is typical.

Be careful with financial promises

Financial advertising carries responsibility. Do not promise guaranteed returns or instant loans if your rules do not provide them. Show interest rates and fees honestly. Follow the rules of your regulator, and keep the language clear enough that a first-time saver understands exactly what they are signing up for.

Make joining easy

End each clip with one action: join online, visit a branch, or chat on WhatsApp. Tracked links show which video brought each enquiry, and a shared inbox lets member services answer quickly. WhatsApp and leads.

The long game

A SACCO that wins a young member at 24 may serve them for forty years. That is worth a few short videos.

Write your first membership explainer.