MTN Business, TransUnion Africa, and Chenosis have launched the TransUnion Telco Data Score, a pioneering credit scoring solution set to accelerate financial inclusion.
The landmark innovation uses mobile phone data to help millions of credit-invisible South Africans gain access to financial services.
The tool, the first of its kind in the country, leverages Call Data Records (CDRs), patterns in mobile phone usage to create an alternative credit profile for users with limited or no formal financial history.
According to TransUnion CEO Lee Naik, the solution has shown a 25–35% improvement in predictive accuracy over previous models during trials in the retail and banking sectors.
“The TransUnion Telco Data Score has demonstrated a 25–35% improvement in predictive performance. With more than 16 million adults outside the formal credit system, this is a game-changer,” he said.
Each year, over 1.4 million South Africans open their first credit accounts, but many, especially young, first-time earners, remain underserved due to outdated scoring systems.
About 35% of new-to-credit individuals are under 25, often looking to build a financial footprint through basic credit access.
TransUnion estimates that successfully integrating these consumers could add R173 billion to the country’s GDP.
MTN, through its API marketplace platform Chenosis, ensures that all data use complies with South Africa’s Protection of Personal Information Act. Legally, consumers must give explicit consent for their data to be used, and the system is designed to be secure and scalable.
Selorm Adadevoh, group chief commercial officer at MTN underlined that this is a model of what responsible innovation can look like. “This partnership demonstrates how mobile technology and secure data sharing can support positive change in the financial sector and unlock new opportunities for millions of South Africans,” he said.
Naik emphasised that innovations like TransUnion Telco Data Score, designed for Africa by Africa, help to responsibly harness mobile data at scale and advance financial inclusion.
“We are not only expanding credit access, we are accelerating inclusive growth,” added Naik.
Waseem Amra, GM for products and platforms at Chenosis, also highlighted the importance of secure data sharing.
“Chenosis enables collaboration between telcos and solution providers, while maintaining top-tier security and compliance. This is how we unlock real-life impact.”
With over 500 million people across Africa excluded from formal financial systems, the collaboration sets a new precedent for inclusive, data-driven development on the continent.
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