Layby-as-a-service for the 400 million African adults banks won't lend to.

We build the software infrastructure that turns any African retailer into a layby business in under an hour. No bank required. Mobile money rails, WhatsApp-first, multi-currency.

Live in production

Real customers, real demand, today.

Numbers from our first paying-design-partner — Appliance & Home in Harare. Launched 14 May 2026 with zero marketing.

Committed GMV
$17,790
In 36 hours, one shop
Average ticket
$889
Sweet spot for layby
EcoCash share
75%
Mobile-money native
Repeat rate (Day 2)
4.8%
One customer, two laybys
Why we exist

The credit gap nobody else is closing.

57% of Sub-Saharan African adults are unbanked. They can't access store credit. They can't use BNPL apps. They pay over time the way their parents did — at the counter, in cash, with a notebook. We turn that into software.

📒 Paper layby = lost paper

Retailers run layby on WhatsApp screenshots and exercise books. Customers and shopkeepers argue about what was paid. Trust is the friction.

🏦 Banks don't lend here

The 400M unbanked are invisible to traditional finance. BNPL apps require KYC the unbanked majority cannot pass. Layby is the only working credit substitute.

💻 No SaaS exists for it

Shopify ignores layby. Custom software is out of reach for a Harare or Lagos shop. We are the missing software layer purpose-built for African retail.

Architecture

A parent brand, country brands, real shops.

Layby Africa is the infrastructure layer. Country-specific brands run on top of it. Real retailers are the customer-facing tenants. One platform, many fronts.

Parent · holding

Layby Africa

laybyafrica.com

The platform, the company, the investor face. SaaS for retailers across the continent.

Country · MVP

ZimLayby

zimlayby.com

Our Zimbabwe-market brand. Live since May 2026. First of N country brands as we expand across SADC.

Tenant · live

Appliance & Home

appliances.zimlayby.com

Our design-partner retailer in Harare. Selling appliances on layby through our platform every day.

Want your shop on Layby Africa?

We're onboarding tenants 2 through 10 right now in Zimbabwe. Get in touch.

hello@laybyafrica.com →