Unlock Capital
& Improve Cashflows
Empowa’s rent-to-own sales technology reduces risk and provides the data required to unlock new funding sources
What Our Local Partners Have To Say
Richard
CEO Casa Real in Mozambique
Partnering with Empowa has fundamentally changed how we deliver affordable housing in Mozambique. Through their rent-to-own financing model, we’ve been able to unlock a completely new segment of customers who were previously excluded from formal housing finance.
Just as importantly, Empowa’s approach gives us liquidity at key stages of development, allowing us to build faster and serve more families. Over half of our tenants have already built up 40% equity in their homes within 18 months a result that speaks volumes about both the product design and the shared commitment to long-term ownership. It’s not just financing; it’s a partnership that makes sustainable growth possible
Award winning financial solutions
fit for emerging markets
Partnerships with global institutions to de-risk finance
Leverage Empowa tools, technologies, ecosystem and network to reduce risk and build credibility and scale
Tools to manage contracts, payments, and reporting
Streamline operations with blockchain-based transparency and automation.
Access new sources of patient
impact-driven capital
Connect with institutional investors and DFIs seeking housing impact at scale.
Data-driven scoring and impact tracking
Advanced analytics to optimise operations and demonstrate measurable outcomes.
Sustainable growth and impact
Empowa is taking over the affordable housing
finance market
99%
on time payment
across our housing portfolio
Turning Renters into Owners
50%
Over half our tenants have paid off 40% of their home equity within the first 18 months
Cutting the Cost of Finance in Half
50%
Lower cost of financing when compared to the traditional mortgage product in the market
Sales Liquidity or Capital Recycling Metric
80%
of the units value is released to developers upfront
Awards
AUHF
Innovative Property Technology of the Year 2024 & 2025
NAHFIS
Innovation Award
2024
Cardano Summit
Blockchain for Good Award
2022 & 2024
Media
Empowa updating the financial system for affordable homes
A video report by:
FAQs
When a house is delivered, do I receive the full construction value upfront, or is my payment tied to the family's instalment schedule?
You do not receive the full value upfront. Empowa uses a refinancing model. An agreed amount is released after a unit is physically complete, certified for occupancy, and legally titled, and a sales contract is in place (typically via a rent-to-own mechanism) with proof of payments made by the tenant for a previously agreed period of time. The balance of the sales price, usually including a premium is then collected through the rent-to-own contract with the tenant.
What percentage of the construction cost is disbursed as an advance before or during construction?
Empowa focuses on financing the sale of finished inventory. While some master loan agreements allow for tranches to be allocated as needed for a minimum number of homes, the developer is generally expected to carry the primary construction risk, with Empowa providing the guaranteed "exit" or off-take once the home is finished. The liquidity released upon the refinancing of the homes can be used by the developer to develop new housing units. As soon as these new units are ready for refinancing -as per the requirements highlighted in the previous answer- the development cycle can be repeated.
In which currency is the financing structured local or USD? And who carries the exchange rate risk?
The financing is structured in USD to attract international investors. However, payments are made in MZN. To manage this, Empowa uses a "Dynamic FX Forward" engine. This tech acts as a buffer, locking in future repayment rates to hedge against currency devaluation, effectively shielding both the developer and the investor from sudden exchange rate shocks.
As a developer, is my margin fixed and guaranteed regardless of the family's payment rhythm, or does it fluctuate with their performance?
Your revenue is primarily tied to the agreed purchase price of the completed units. The developer's primary margin is realized when the unit is successfully "off-taken" into the rent-to-own pool. Experience till date confirms that at a portfolio level, the clients that are slower in their payment rhythm even out the tenants that are faster in paying rents and accumulating savings for their house.
In practical terms, am I a construction partner who delivers finished units, or does my role extend to managing the relationship with the families after handover?
You are a construction and developer partner. You also act at the front line for the relationship and payment entry, for which you can charge a management fee or even outsource this activity. Empowa provides the Empowa Pay app and a centralized CRM to automate the heavy lifting of payment tracking and management, but the developer remains responsible for property-related issues, as long as the tenant-client is saving to buy the home. Experience shows that clients treat their property with the required care, as they are saving towards ownership and therefore are not typical tenants.
What are the minimum requirements to become a developer partner — certifications, track record, financial capacity?
Requirements include a proven track record of quality construction delivering units, financial stability, and a commitment to climate-resilient and green construction (such as working towards meeting IFC EDGE standards). Empowa also reviews regional reputation and managerial experience. As Empowa's financial tools apply a refinancing mechanism, the developer is judged on the performance of what is actually delivered and how successful clients are in making the required payments, rather than having to prove a vast historic track record.
If a family stops paying, who retains ownership of the unit and manages the eviction process?
As the family only gains ownership of the unit upon full payment for the unit, they are effectively a tenant until that time. The developer (directly or via a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) or Trust) retains ownership until that time. Our model is structured such that Empowa Pay will signal clearly if a client is not paying as required. Before even reaching a default, the model is designed for "Tenant Replacement" rather than a standard lengthy eviction. The developer is required to prove at all times that a sufficiently sized existing waitlist for the portfolio of houses that were refinanced is ready to take over the rent-to-own contract whenever a unit is vacated. Experience confirms that clients are in many cases incentivized to self-report to the developer in case they start falling behind in payments. This because any missed rental payments are covered by the savings already accumulated by the client. The earlier the client reports they want to leave the property due to a deteriorating personal financial situation, the more of their existing savings they can take with them upon terminating the rent-to-own contract. This process has proven a practical one in Mozambique, and in line with legal regulations.
What is the typical recovery timeline for a unit in default?
The platform is designed to minimize yield loss by maintaining a pre-vetted waitlist of families ready to move in as soon as a unit becomes vacant.
Is there a reserve fund to cover defaults, and if so, who contributes to it — the developer, Empowa, or the investor?
The Developer is expected to keep a reserve fund. The SPV maintains a "Reserve Fund" equal to 5% of collected rent held in a "First Loss" reserve account to buffer against short-term payment gaps.
Do I have any control or input over the eligibility assessment of the families entering my units?
The developer is fully in control of eligibility assessments of clients. This is important as the developer obviously takes on the responsibility of mobilising clients that can pay for the houses. The investor may set certain general eligibility requirements in terms of eg. age and/or gender of the clients. If any such requirements exist, these will be clarified to the developer well in time. Empowa’s tools include credit scoring mechanisms handled by Empowa’s AI Risk Engine, which can evaluate non-traditional data (like mobile money usage, previous rental payments profiles) to predict the family can afford the payments.
Does EmpowaPay integrate with M-Pesa and other mobile payment channels commonly used in Beira?
Yes. It is specifically designed to integrate with M-Pesa and other local channels. In Mozambique, work is ongoing to streamline the M-Pesa channel for seamless tenant payments.
What is the minimum connectivity requirement for families to use the app reliably?
The app uses an "Offline-First" architecture. Families can record payments or check balances without an active internet connection; the data caches locally and syncs automatically once they reach a 4G or Wi-Fi zone.
Will I have real-time access to payment data for my units through a developer dashboard?
Yes. Developers have access to a real-time dashboard that tracks payment data, unit status, and project milestones.
What are the costs of integrating EmpowaPay into my operation — is there a per-transaction fee, a monthly fee, or another structure?
The platform supports flexible fee structures, which are aligned with the size of operations by the developer. In Mozambique, there is a 3% fee, which can be split between the developer and the tenant based on a variable set in the system.
What is the minimum number of units required to activate the partnership?
Partnerships have been activated with as few as 15 to 30 units during pilot phases to prove the concept before scaling.