Backed by a diversified group
The Simba Group of Companies spans fuel, logistics, cash-in-transit, manufacturing and fintech, with headquarters in Dubai and operations across East and Southern Africa.
For your next chapter · In development
Effortless U.S. banking for international students.
New country, new chapter — and money that's ready when you land. Simba Money is building an iOS-first platform with a U.S. account, card, tuition payments and the essential services around them, designed for delivery through licensed partners.
In development. U.S. services are not yet available.
- Checking & savings
- Cards
- ACH & wire
- Tuition
Part of the Simba Group16 companies and brands across East & Southern Africa and the UAE
Payments heritageBuilt by the team behind Simba Money Tanzania
Partner-led by designAccounts, cards and payments through licensed U.S. providers
From the Simba Group ecosystem
Group companies and brands. U.S. banking providers are being selected.
§ 01 The opportunity2024/25 academic year
A record market, still underserved on day one.
International students arrive with tuition deadlines and living costs — usually without a U.S. credit history, and often without a Social Security number. We're designing the financial essentials to be ready sooner.
1,177,766
International students in U.S. higher education, including OPT — an all-time high.
+4.5% vs. 2023/24
IIE Open Doors 2025
$42.9B
Contributed to the U.S. economy by international students.
NAFSA Economic Value Tool, 2024–25
355,736
U.S. jobs supported — about one for every three international students.
NAFSA Economic Value Tool, 2024–25
294,253
Students on Optional Practical Training — relationships that continue after graduation.
+21.2% vs. 2023/24
IIE Open Doors 2025
Sources: Institute of International Education, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts; NAFSA, International Student Economic Value Tool (November 2025).
§ 02 The planned productCapability map & roadmap
The financial essentials, designed around student life.
One iOS app, four product pillars. Each would be delivered by appropriately licensed partners, once selected, under clearly disclosed terms.
Checking ••2048Planned
$4,280.50
Passport SSN ITIN
U.S. checking & savings, applied for online.
Our goal: eligible students apply from anywhere, with a passport-based pathway where the partner bank's identity program allows — plus ACH, wires and savings.
Explore accountsEveryday cards. Campus identity. A credit start.
Debit cards, university-branded designs, and secured and unsecured student credit programs under evaluation with issuing partners.
Explore cardsTuition, rent and bills, with nothing hidden.
Tuition payments, ACH and domestic wires — fees and estimated posting dates disclosed before anyone pays.
Explore paymentsBeyond the account: the essentials of arriving.
A U.S. phone number, admissions and F-1 preparation support, and student insurance — each through qualified, licensed specialists.
Explore servicesGood morning
Amina
Checking ••2048USD
$4,280.50
Add money
Tuition
Card
This weekSee all
Direct depositOn-campus job · Today
+$612.40Campus BookstoreBooks · Yesterday
−$84.20Metro TransitTransport · Mon
−$2.90Fall tuition
Your University · Student ID ••4417
Amount due$12,400.00
Paid from checking, Aug 3On track
Amount confirmedAug 2
Sent by ACHAug 3
Sent to universityToday
Posted by bursarEst. Aug 7
Your card
Student debit · ••2048
SIMBA MONEY•••• 2048
Freeze card
Online purchases
Spending alerts
Contactless payments
Simba MoneyStudent
•••• 2048Amina K.Debit
Product concept · not available
§ 03 The app
One app. Ready for week one.
Balances, tuition and card controls in one calm place — designed for a student's first year in the U.S. and intended for delivery through licensed partners.
- Everyday money. Checking, savings, direct deposit and spending insights.
- Tuition with status. The right student reference, and updates until the university posts the payment.
- Cards under control. Freeze, alerts and digital wallets from day one.
§ 04 Money movement
From a U.S. account to a tuition payment.
A proposed payment journey for students and universities — over domestic ACH and wire, with the details checked before anything is sent.
- Fees and an estimated posting date before payment.
- Verified university details and the right student reference.
- Payment details and status in one place.
Tuition paymentFlow concept
Start from your U.S. account
- Source
- Your U.S. checking account
- Method
- ACH or domestic wire
- Purpose
- University tuition
Accepted payment methods will be confirmed with the banking partner and each institution.
Know the details before sending
- Recipient
- Verified university details
- Cost
- Any applicable fees
- Timing
- Estimated posting date
The final experience will show the applicable terms before a payment is authorized.
Follow the payment journey
- Reference
- University payment identifier
- Progress
- Bank and university updates
- Records
- Payment confirmation
University acceptance and posting times depend on the institution and payment route.
Interactive concept only. No money is moved.
§ 05 From home to campus
Built for students who start far from campus.
International students arrive from every region of the world. We're designing for the moment they land — so a U.S. account, a card and a way to pay tuition are ready when they need them.
01
Before departure
Explore the planned account and specialist services, with admission and F-1 checklists in view.
02
Arrival week
Card activation and a U.S. number through carrier partners, so week one is about campus.
03
First semester
Tuition, rent and everyday payments by ACH or domestic wire, with fees shown before you confirm.
Illustrative map of students' home regions and U.S. university cities. It shows student journeys, not money transfers — international transfers are not part of the planned U.S. product.
§ 06 The student journeySpecialist services
Before arrival. Through the first semester.
Six moments where a student needs their finances to simply work — and where the right partner makes the difference.
01 Prepare
Get admitted and ready to fly.
Admissions preparation and general F-1 process support from qualified specialists, with a checklist that keeps every deadline in view.
Admissions F-1 readiness02 Apply
Open a U.S. account before you land.
An online application with identity verification led by the partner bank — designed for a passport, SSN or ITIN, as the bank's program allows.
Passport SSN ITIN03 Fund
Move money in, the U.S. way.
Direct deposit, plus ACH or domestic wire transfers from other U.S. accounts — with fees and timing shown before you confirm.
ACH & wire Full disclosure04 Pay tuition
Pay the university with the right reference.
Tuition payments to participating institutions, with student references attached and status updates through to posting.
Bursar-ready Live status05 Arrive
Land with a card and a U.S. number.
Card activation and a U.S. phone number through carrier partners — so week one is about campus, not paperwork.
Card ready U.S. eSIM06 Settle in
Save, build credit, stay covered.
Everyday banking and savings, credit-building options under evaluation with lenders, and insurance choices from licensed providers.
Savings Credit building Insurance
Illustrative journey. Each service will have its own provider, eligibility requirements and terms. No account, credit, admission, visa or insurance outcome is guaranteed.
§ 07 Find your rolePartner program
What could we build together?
Choose your organization type, then pick the topics for a first conversation — your choices are carried into an editable inquiry.
A student program built with a sponsor bank.
We're looking for account and card capabilities suited to eligible international students — with the bank's compliance program at the center of the design.
What we bring
- A focused, high-intent student segment reached before arrival
- An iOS product team with payments experience from Tanzania
- Program design that starts from your policies and risk appetite
What we're looking for
- A sponsor bank for checking, savings and debit
- Issuing and processing for debit and potential student credit
- Clear allocation of KYC, BSA/AML, disputes and complaints
From a student's U.S. account to the bursar's office.
We're looking for licensed partners for tuition delivery, domestic ACH and wire, and direct deposit — with transparent pricing and reliable reconciliation.
What we bring
- Payments product experience from Simba Money Tanzania
- Tuition demand concentrated at identifiable campuses and deadlines
- A product that discloses costs and tracks status end to end
What we're looking for
- Tuition payment delivery to participating universities
- Domestic ACH and wire capabilities
- Reconciliation that bursar teams can rely on
Arrival readiness for your international students.
We want to work with international student offices, bursar teams and leadership to shape a program that helps admitted students arrive prepared.
For universitiesWhat we bring
- Pre-arrival financial onboarding for admitted students
- Optional campus-branded card designs
- Clear tuition references and payment visibility
What we're looking for
- International student offices and bursar teams
- A small, controlled pilot cohort
- Guidance on institutional requirements and approvals
The services around the account.
We're building a network of qualified providers for connectivity, admissions, F-1 preparation and insurance — each delivered under its own license and terms.
What we bring
- Students reached at the moment of need
- Consent-based, clearly labeled referrals
- One trusted place to compare options
What we're looking for
- U.S. carriers and MVNOs for SIM and eSIM
- Admissions specialists, and attorneys or accredited representatives for immigration matters
- Licensed insurance carriers and producers
§ 08 Why Simba Money
Group strength. Payments heritage. Compliance by design.
We're new to the U.S. market — not to building financial products or operating at scale.
Built by a payments team
Simba Money Tanzania offers a digital wallet, transfers and a debit card in Tanzania. Its team brings product, mobile and payments experience to the U.S. initiative.
Responsibilities agreed before launch
Roles, controls, disclosures and complaint handling are defined with partners up front — documented in a responsibility matrix your compliance team can review.
§ 09 Working togetherDue diligence & responsibilities
From a first conversation to launch readiness.
A structured path that gives your risk, compliance and legal teams what they need at every stage.
01
Capabilities & fit
The students, markets and services each organization can support, and where the economics work.
02
Partner review
Corporate background, ownership, proposed activities and your due-diligence requirements.
03
Program design
Product and funds flows, disclosures, data handling, operational roles and commercial terms.
04
Launch readiness
Agreements, approvals, testing and controls confirmed — before any launch decision.
Proposed collaboration process. No launch date, approval or partnership is implied.
Simba Money · Tanzania
The team behind the initiative.
§ 10 The company behind the initiative
Rooted in Tanzania. Building for the U.S.
Our U.S. initiative grows out of Simba Money in Tanzania and the wider Simba Group. Meet the team, the companies behind us, and the principles we build by.
Now selecting launch partners
Build the U.S. student platform with us.
We're speaking with sponsor banks, card and payment providers, universities and specialist service partners. Tell us what you bring — we'll show you exactly where it fits.