Every contribution flows directly between members and the fund organiser through their own mobile money accounts — Orange Money, MyZaka, Smega. Tshelo only records what was paid. We never receive, hold, or transmit funds. This page explains exactly how that works, what we collect, and what we don't.
When a member contributes, their funds move from their mobile money account directly to the organiser's mobile money account. Tshelo records the transaction. We do not sit in the middle.
This is the most important distinction. Tshelo is a transparency layer that runs alongside your mobile money. It is not a wallet, not an escrow, and not a payment processor.
We collect the minimum needed to make the product work, hold it carefully, and give it back to you on request.
Your phone number for sign-in. Your name and avatar if you set them. The funds you participate in, contributions you record, expenses you log, and receipts you upload.
Your mobile money PIN. Your bank account details. Your national ID number. Your contacts list. Your location. Tshelo runs without any of these.
Your data is stored on encrypted servers managed by our infrastructure provider, with access restricted to a small group of named engineers under audit logging.
No one, by default. We do not sell data, share with advertisers, or pass it to third parties for marketing. Lawful requests from authorities are handled case-by-case with notice to you where permitted.
Your fund records stay accessible while your account is active. When you delete a fund or your account, the records are removed within thirty days, except where the law requires we retain them.
You can export everything we hold about you, correct anything inaccurate, and delete your account at any time. Contact us and we'll handle it within five business days.
Because Tshelo doesn't hold your money, the path for resolving disputes is different from a payment app. Here's how it works.
If a contribution is recorded incorrectly, the organiser can edit or remove it from the fund — and every member sees the change in the audit log. The actual funds remain in the organiser's mobile money account.
If a transfer didn't go through, didn't arrive, or was sent in error, that's a matter for your mobile money provider — Orange Money, MyZaka, or Smega — and their dispute process. Tshelo cannot reverse a transaction we never received.
For everything that's about Tshelo itself — wrong records, missing notifications, can't sign in, want your data deleted — write to us at the address below. We aim to respond within five business days.
If our response doesn't resolve the matter, you can escalate via our complaints procedure. Full details are on the Complaints page, including timeframes and external escalation routes.
It matters that you know exactly what Tshelo is for, and what it isn't, before you trust your family's money to it.
Tshelo is a transparency and audit layer for funds that move through other rails. We're useful in the same way a well-kept ledger is useful — and just like a ledger, we need someone (the organiser) to keep things accurate.
We do not move money. The actual transfer between members and the organiser happens entirely through Orange Money, MyZaka, or Smega — under their terms, their fees, and their security.
We do not hold contributions until conditions are met. The organiser receives funds directly and is responsible for spending them according to the agreed purpose. Members trust the organiser the same way they always have — Tshelo just makes that trust easier to verify.
We hold no deposits. We pay no interest. We are not regulated as a financial institution because we do not provide financial services. We are a software product.
Trust and safety questions go to a real person on our team. No tickets, no queue gymnastics. Write to us and you'll get a reply.
Email is the fastest way to reach us. If your matter is urgent — a security concern or a misuse of the platform — say so in the subject line and we'll prioritise it.
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