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Guides

Borrowing guides

Practical, plain-English guidance on borrowing money in Zimbabwe — written to be useful whether or not you ever borrow from us.

Why these exist

The questions people ask before they are ready to borrow

Most lending websites publish only sales pages, which means the questions people actually have — what counts as proof of income, why one 15% loan costs more than another, what to do when a repayment is going to be missed — go unanswered by the institutions best placed to answer them.

Two of the guides below have no commercial benefit to us at all. They are here because they are the most useful things we can publish, and because a lender that only talks when it is selling is not much of a lender.

5 guides

Read next

  • What documents do you need for a loan in Zimbabwe?

    The full document list, what counts as proof of income if you have no payslip, and the mistakes that cost applicants a day.

    6 min readUpdated 4 August 2026
    What documents do you need for a loan in Zimbabwe?: Read the guide
  • How to build a credit history in Zimbabwe

    Why the no-credit-history trap exists, and the practical sequence for escaping it from a standing start.

    7 min readUpdated 4 August 2026
    How to build a credit history in Zimbabwe: Read the guide
  • Flat vs reducing balance interest, explained

    The most important question a borrower can ask about a rate — and why the same percentage can mean two different loans.

    6 min readUpdated 4 August 2026
    Flat vs reducing balance interest, explained: Read the guide
  • What to do if you cannot repay a loan

    The steps that actually help when a repayment is going to be missed — and the two things that reliably make it worse.

    7 min readUpdated 4 August 2026
    What to do if you cannot repay a loan: Read the guide
  • How to spot a loan scam in Zimbabwe

    The warning signs of advance-fee fraud, how to verify a lender is real, and what to do if you have already paid.

    5 min readUpdated 4 August 2026
    How to spot a loan scam in Zimbabwe: Read the guide

Keep reading

Reference and tools

  • Loan glossary

    Plain-English definitions of every term that appears in a loan agreement.

    Read more
  • Repayment calculator

    Turn a rate and a term into a real monthly instalment before you apply.

    Read more
  • Rates and fees

    What each product costs, when charges apply, and how repayments are allocated.

    Read more

Questions these guides did not answer?

Call or message a loan officer. Asking costs nothing and commits you to nothing.

Apply now +263 242 700 145WhatsApp

Free to apply · No hidden fees · Most applications reviewed the same working day

Alector Microfinance

Fair, transparent credit for Zimbabwe’s traders, farmers and salaried workers.

14 Nelson Mandela Avenue
Harare, Zimbabwe
+263 242 700 145WhatsApp usinfo@alectormicrofinance.co.zw

Loans

  • All loan products
  • Salary advance loans
  • SME & working capital
  • Agricultural input loans
  • Micro & first loans
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  • Vehicle & equipment

Where we lend

  • Loans in Harare
  • Loans in Bulawayo
  • Loans in Gweru
  • Loans in Kwekwe
  • Loans in Mutare
  • Loans in Masvingo
  • Loans in Victoria Falls

Learn

  • All borrowing guides
  • What documents you need
  • Building a credit history
  • How loan interest works
  • If you cannot repay
  • Spotting a loan scam
  • Loan glossary

Company

  • About Alector
  • How it works
  • Repayment calculator
  • Rates & fees
  • Frequently asked questions
  • Contact us

Legal

  • Responsible lending
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & conditions

Borrow responsibly — only take what you can repay. Alector will never ask you to pay a fee to release a loan, and will never ask for your password or a one-time code.

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Registered microfinance institution · RBZ-MFI-2024-017

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+263 242 700 145 · Free to apply · No hidden fees