Our mission

Lending that lifts people up.

At Smartfore Lending, trust, clarity and community shape every loan we make and every conversation we have.

Mission

What we do

To provide access to credit to all, through proper manual underwriting and clear, fair terms, treating every borrower, guarantor and bidder with dignity.

Vision

Where we are heading

A Zambia where short-term cash and asset-backed credit are simple, transparent and trusted, and where communities grow stronger together.

Our values

How we work

Five promises we hold ourselves to.

Humanity

You are a person first, never just an account number.

Transparency

Clear fees and plain language. Full terms are always in your agreement before you accept.

Community

Guarantors, families and neighbours succeed together. We involve them with consent and care.

Fairness

Honest asset valuations and open auctions for forfeited collateral.

Responsibility

We lend only what you can reasonably repay, and we remind you before it's due.

About us

Our story

Smartfore Lending is built on Ubuntu, the idea that we are because of each other.

Richmond Mbao and Thandiwe Tembo, both University of Zambia graduates, spent time working in the US mortgage underwriting space. They saw how easy it is for systems to become rigid and impersonal, and they came home wanting to do things differently.

We started this company because we believe borrowing money should feel straightforward and respectful. Whether someone needs a short-term loan to bridge the month or a loan secured by an asset they own, we try to treat every person the way we’d want to be treated: with clarity, patience, and genuine care.

Technology helps us move faster and stay organised. Ubuntu keeps us grounded in why it matters: supporting people, families, and the communities we live in.

That’s the heart of Smartfore.

We’re not just processing applications. We’re trying to help people move forward, together.

How we lend

Access to credit, assessed by people

Smartfore Lending is a DBA of Venture Vault Investments Limited, established in 2024. Smartfore was founded to provide access to credit to all, using proper manual underwriting. We don’t use traditional credit scoring models. We find a way.

Manual underwriting

Every application is reviewed by a real person, who looks at your circumstances and what you can realistically repay.

No credit-score barrier

We don’t depend on traditional credit scoring models, so people they overlook can still be considered. Approval is never guaranteed and depends on our assessment.

We find a way

Guarantors on Payday Express and assets on Asset Based loans give us more responsible ways to say yes.

Founded

Venture Vault Investments Limited is established.

Two products

Payday Express and Asset Based loans.

Open auctions

Forfeited assets sold transparently.

Meet the team