Learn · Circles

The oldest fintech in the world.

Esusu, ajo, chama, susu, stokvel, every market named it because every market needed it. Here’s how rotating savings actually work, and how to run one without the drama.

The mechanics, in one pass

Everyone contributes, on scheduleTen people, ₦25,000 monthly, ten months. The pot is ₦250,000 every month.
The pot rotatesEach month one member takes the full pot. Early collectors get an interest-free advance; late collectors get forced savings.
The math is honestNobody earns off anyone, the circle just moves time around. That’s why it has survived centuries.

Why circles fail, and the fixes

Someone collects, then stops payingFix: order payouts by tenure and reliability; newcomers collect later.
The keeper’s notebook is the only recordFix: a shared, tamper-evident record every member can see, this is exactly what Qoyla’s circles seal.
Life happens mid-cycleFix: agree the pause-and-substitute rules before money moves, not during the argument.

Run one in Qoyla

Family circles keep the tradition and add the record: contributions and payouts sealed per member, money staying in each member’s own bank until payout day. The trust stays human; the bookkeeping stops being.

Start your circle

Create it, invite members, set the order, ten minutes.

Create a circleFor families