Taamba Maris Instant Loan, innovative service offering aimed at financial inclusion

Windhoek, Aug 11 — Tim Ekandjo, “Chief Brand, Marketing, Communications, & Sustainability Officer at MTC, has announced that the newly launched Taamba Maris Loan is a pioneering product that has received positive feedback from the market.
Ekandjo explained that the era of short-term loans masquerading as financial inclusion solutions—often trapping Namibians in deeper debt—is over. “With the Taamba Maris Loan, the limit is N$1500, helping to reduce exposure and prevent over-indebtedness.
We’ve also adopted a behavioural credit scoring system to ensure loans are only approved for customers with a proven ability to repay. According to our loan policy, customers can take only one loan at a time, and we implement cooling-off periods to
prevent consecutive borrowing,” he said.
He highlighted that future plans for Taamba Maris include a tiered pricing system where repeat borrowers will benefit from lower rates, thus lowering their overall long-term costs. Additionally, there are plans to introduce opt-in savings products linked to
repayment behaviour, encouraging customers to shift from borrowing to building assets.
A key feature that sets Taamba Maris apart from other loan products, he added, is its transparency and integrated loan health safety modules, which provide customers with repayment flexibility. Customers will be informed of the total repayment amount,
including interest, before accepting the loan terms.
“In its current form, Taamba Maris primarily functions as an emergency liquidity solution for the unbanked, helping them avoid loan sharks who often charge exorbitant interest rates of up to 40% per month. This loan allows individuals to access the support they need while also establishing a digital footprint that can facilitate access to future credit.
Typically, we issue these loans to customers who need assistance with essentials such as water, electricity, school supplies, and groceries,” he added.
Taamba Maris will also launch a responsible borrowing campaign, presented in various local languages, to educate and raise awareness about responsible borrowing and financial literacy.
Ekandjo assured customers that MTC Maris will employ responsible lending recovery methods, including regular reminders via SMS. He stated that Taamba Maris is exactly what the market needs and that MTC Maris is committed to supporting Namibians in
difficulty, not increasing their debt.