What are the different names for a ROSCA?

A rotating savings circle goes by njangi in Cameroon, susu in Ghana and the Caribbean, esusu, ajo, and adashi in Nigeria, chama in Kenya, stokvel in South Africa, tanda and cundina in Mexico, paluwagan in the Philippines, kameti or committee in Pakistan and India, hui in China, tontine in West Africa, and partner or sou-sou in the Caribbean.

Are njangi, susu, and tanda the same thing?

Yes, at the core. They are all rotating savings and credit associations: a trusted group contributes a fixed amount on a schedule and each member receives the full pot in turn. The details, like daily versus monthly cycles or whether a collector is used, vary by culture.

Free ROSCA tool

What is your savings circle called?

Around the world, the same rotating savings circle has dozens of names. Search your country or community to find yours and see how that version works.

Njangi

Cameroon

also tontine

Members meet regularly and rotate a pooled lump sum. Often women-led, frequently paired with a social fund for emergencies.

Susu

Ghana & the Caribbean

A trusted collector or a peer group gathers fixed deposits and pays out the pot in turn. Daily or weekly variants are common.

Esusu / Ajo / Adashi

Nigeria

Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa

A rotating contribution group. Ajo often uses a daily collector; esusu and adashi rotate the full pot among members.

Chama

Kenya

A group savings and investment circle. Many chamas pool beyond rotation into shared investments and loans.

Stokvel

South Africa

A collective savings club. Members contribute a set amount and take turns receiving the pool, often around year-end.

Tanda / Cundina

Mexico

A rotating savings group among trusted family, friends, or coworkers. Each round one person receives the full collection.

Paluwagan

Philippines

A workplace or community rotating fund. Members pay in each payday cycle and take turns receiving the lump sum.

Kameti / Committee / BC

Pakistan & India

A rotating savings committee. Members contribute monthly and one member receives the pooled amount each round.

Hui

China

One of the oldest rotating savings circles. Members bid or rotate for access to the pooled fund.

Partner / Sou-sou

Caribbean

A "hand" or turn in the partner draws the full pot. A banker or trusted organiser keeps the rotation honest.

Tontine

West Africa & France

A rotating or pooled savings arrangement. In West Africa it functions like a ROSCA among a trusted group.

Run your circle on Wiremi

Whatever your community calls it, Wiremi runs it: automatic rotation, escrow-protected payouts, and a verifiable record of every contribution. That record puts you first in line for our credit-reporting pilot with a Canadian bureau.

Download the Wiremi app

Try the ROSCA calculator

Wiremi does not yet report to any credit bureau. Reporting is in development.