They Borrow 10,000 Dirhams and Have to Repay 12,000 a Few Months Later

The system is known as “talouâ.” Individuals with available cash lend money directly to families and small traders, outside any banking or legal framework.

The markup is almost standardized. For every 10,000-dirham loan, the borrower must pay an additional 1,000 to 2,000 dirhams. Repayment is generally required within a period of no more than a few months, reports Hespress.

In Tangier, these loans are spreading across several working-class neighborhoods. They mainly target heads of households facing an urgent expense but unable to provide the guarantees demanded by banks. Traders working in markets are also among the borrowers.

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Behind the promise of “facilitating” access to money, some lenders have turned the system into a genuine business. They are now well known enough in the neighborhoods that people seeking a loan are directed straight to them.

In the neighborhoods, lenders have become a go-to address

The phenomenon is no longer limited to arrangements between acquaintances. In Ksar El-Kébir as in Tangier, the markup of 1,000 to 2,000 dirhams for every 10,000 dirhams lent has almost become a rule.

When the borrower is unable to quickly return the principal and the additional amount, tensions erupt. The sources interviewed report numerous conflicts between the two parties at the time of repayment.

Information-gathering efforts are now being conducted into these practices. This initial step could pave the way for broader investigations into people who have turned informal lending into a regular activity.

The authorities have already dismantled similar networks. In May, in Tiflet, a woman suspected of leading an organization specializing in this type of lending was arrested. Its members allegedly collected substantial sums through the markups imposed on borrowers.

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This parallel economy is developing on the basis of very real vulnerability. In 2025, Moroccan household debt reached 456 billion dirhams, following the sharpest acceleration recorded in thirteen years. Consumer loans surged by 13.2%.

At the same time, arrears have reached 47 billion dirhams: approximately one dirham out of every ten lent to households is already classified as non-performing in the banking system.

“Talouâ” thus fills the gap left by traditional institutions: it gives money to those without any guarantees, but turns an urgent need for 10,000 dirhams into a debt of 12,000 to be repaid almost immediately.