In a significant move for Kenya’s SME and construction ecosystem, leading hardware and electrical solutions provider Doshi has joined tabb’s rapidly expanding trade credit network. The partnership enables thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—from neighbourhood hardware stores to large subcontractors—to purchase stock using bank-issued, interest-free revolving credit lines.
Announced in Nairobi on January 27, 2026, the collaboration marks a critical step toward modernising how trade credit flows across supply chains, particularly in sectors where working capital constraints have historically limited growth.
Solving the SME cash flow trap
For decades, SMEs across Africa have been stuck in a familiar bind: limited cash flow restricts bulk purchasing, which in turn limits margins, growth, and competitiveness. Suppliers, meanwhile, are forced to act as de facto lenders, extending informal credit at the expense of their own balance sheets. Banks, facing high acquisition costs and perceived risk, largely stay on the sidelines.
tabb’s trade credit infrastructure is designed to break this cycle.
By integrating Doshi into its supplier network, tabb allows SMEs to access bank-issued credit at the point of purchase—without interest—while ensuring suppliers are paid promptly.
“For years, trade customers across the market have been constrained by limited working capital, holding back their ability to purchase in bulk, expand, and grow,” said Hemal, Director at Doshi. “By joining the tabb network, we’re removing that constraint. We can now confidently say ‘yes’ to every customer and unlock faster growth right at the point of purchase.”
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How the tabb Trade Credit Network works
tabb is not a lender. Instead, it provides the standardized infrastructure—the rails—that allow banks, suppliers, and SMEs to transact efficiently through a single, closed-loop system.
The process is straightforward:
- Suppliers like Doshi join the tabb network and enable “Pay with tabb” at checkout.
- SMEs apply once for a revolving credit line issued by partner banks.
- At purchase, suppliers receive payment the same day.
- SMEs repay the bank over 30–90 days, interest-free.
This structure aligns incentives across all parties. Banks deploy capital profitably, suppliers eliminate credit risk and improve cash flow, and SMEs gain immediate purchasing power without the burden of high-cost financing.
Strategic expansion into Kenya’s construction and hardware sector
The Doshi partnership represents tabb’s strategic expansion into Kenya’s construction and hardware sector—an industry where working capital shortages are particularly acute. Hardware retailers and subcontractors often need to stock high-value materials upfront, long before project payments are received.
By easing this bottleneck, tabb and Doshi aim to accelerate project execution, stabilize inventory cycles, and stimulate broader economic activity across the value chain.
“This partnership is a live blueprint for the future of trade on the continent,” said Mesh Alloys, Founder of tabb. “SMEs get purchasing power and extended payment terms, suppliers get paid instantly, and banks can finally serve small businesses at scale. This is how trade credit should work.”
Addressing Africa’s $350 billion SME financing gap
SMEs account for roughly 90% of businesses and 60% of employment across Africa, yet they face an estimated $350 billion financing gap. tabb’s network directly targets this gap by enabling banks to issue usable, accepted credit—credit that works in real commercial environments, not just on paper.
Starting in Africa, where post-dated checks still dominate B2B trade, tabb is proving that modern payment rails, supplier discount arbitrage, and network effects can fundamentally change the economics of trade credit. Initial focus sectors include construction materials, logistics, pharmaceuticals, and retail.
Why tabb, why now?
The timing is deliberate. SME credit demand has outpaced traditional supplier capacity, while digital payment adoption, open banking APIs, and post-pandemic SME digitization have created the right conditions for embedded trade credit infrastructure to scale.
tabb’s long-term vision is clear: to enable seamless, instant access to lines of credit wherever businesses operate, creating the foundation for the next generation of B2B commerce.
Conclusion
The Doshi–tabb partnership is more than a commercial agreement; it is a signal that Africa’s trade ecosystem is ready for a structural upgrade. By aligning banks, suppliers, and SMEs around a shared infrastructure, tabb is turning trade credit from a constraint into a growth engine—one transaction at a time.
