Self-styled champion of financial inclusion and economic empowerment Demulla Credit Limited , a Nairobi-headquartered fintech firm known for touting its commitment to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), is now under fire for allegedly abandoning its own workers through prolonged non-payment of salaries at its Luanda branch. Demulla Credit Limited faces backlash as Luanda branch staff demand three months' unpaid salaries, exposing cracks in the fintech firm's inclusive image.
The company, which aggressively markets itself as a disruptor of traditional lending models and a socially conscious enabler of grassroots entrepreneurship, is facing mounting internal discontent, with junior staff claiming they have not received their wages for over three months, an omission that has left them unable to meet basic needs such as rent, food, and debt obligations.
Demulla, which prides itself on offering fast, collateral-free credit and financial literacy training to underserved communities, now finds itself accused of institutional hypocrisy by the very employees who form the backbone of its operations.
The Luanda team, comprised of entry-level officers who often serve as the face of the brand in rural and peri-urban lending markets, says they have been left in a state of economic paralysis while senior management remains unresponsive to appeals for relief.
As the company continues to position itself as an inclusive force within the country's digital finance sector, the lived realities of its workers suggest a growing dissonance between its public narrative and internal labour practices, one that calls into question the credibility of its social impact mission. "Hello Nyakundi. I am a very stressed person. There is a company called Demulla CLimited that has refused to pay its junior workers for the past three months. This is happening at their Luanda branch. Kindly help us. We have not received our salaries for three months now. We are unable to pay rent, and we are drowning in debt. Please help us get the attention we need."