Guide
Early slot or late slot
A rotating savings group collects the same contribution from each member and pays the whole pot to one person each round. Susu, ajo, esusu, chama, stokvel, and tontine are regional names for that rotation. The pot is the same number of currency units whenever you receive it. Inflation means a later slot buys less.
Last reviewed October 20, 2026 by Francis Eshun, Founder of Iron Wealth. He built the on-device tracker these pages describe. Iron Labs.
Why do the names share one page?
The rotation is the same idea across the continent. Separate country pages would repeat the formula. Use your group's contribution, member count, and fees. The calculator does not include organizer fees or missed payments.
What does one cycle look like?
10 members, 500 GHS each, your slot is 8, inflation is 20% a year. The pot is 5,000 GHS. You wait 7 months. In today's money that is about 4,454 GHS, about 546 GHS less than receiving it now. The last slot, waiting 9 months, is about 4,309 GHS. The same arithmetic works in naira, shillings, or rand. Only the contribution amount changes.
What does the calculator leave out?
It does not tell you to join or to leave. A late slot can still be the right choice if the group is how you save at all. Track the payout as an account when it lands, in the currency you received.
Questions
- Is a susu the same as a stokvel?
- The names differ by country. This page treats them as the same rotation: equal contributions, one member receives the pot each round. Your group's rules can add fees.
- Does an early slot earn interest?
- Not in this model. The early slot simply receives the pot before inflation reduces it. The calculator ignores interest you might have earned elsewhere.
Run your own contribution and slot in the rotating savings calculator, then track the payout in Iron Wealth.
