Bitcoin in Africa: Status of companies and projects by country

Ah, bitcoin in Africa… A vast subject, you might say. That said, you should know that Africa is increasingly popular in Africa. It is still necessary to distinguish French-speaking Africa from English-speaking Africa, which is well ahead of the latter, moreover...

Recalling that by exploiting cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, Africa could address many issues, such as financial inclusion. Many start-ups, initiatives and entrepreneurs in Africa are building an African ecosystem focused on bitcoin every day.

Here in this article is an overview of this ecosystem which continues to grow in Africa.

Bitcoin in Africa: Always more popular with populations

In Africa, multiple platforms offer Africans the opportunity to buy and sell bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in local currency. Luno, Ice3X, Golix and NairaEx are the most popular and established exchanges on the continent.

Since the beginning of 2017, several other exchanges have launched to serve the African bitcoin community, including Remittan, Belfrics and CoinDirect.

Regardless of the success of local platforms in Africa, one of the most popular ways to acquire bitcoins in local African currency is still hand-to-hand trading. Yes, for example, Noons remains the most popular and modern platform today.

The main African economies that encourage the use of bitcoin remain the English-speaking countries of Africa. Among the most crypto-enthusiastic countries we can cite: Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa. Recently it was the Central African Republic with sangocoin who has shown himself to be innovative on the issue. These are said to be countries encouraging cryptocurrencies for several reasons. The volume of bitcoin transactions, the number of startups located in the region as well as community activities. Indeed, in these countries, there are many events related to bitcoin such as meetings and conferences.

Furthermore, more and more cryptocurrency-related startups are emerging on the continent and bitcoin communities have also emerged well in countries such as Zimbabwe and Botswana. Below is a list of all the leading African bitcoin and blockchain startups to give you an overview of the African bitcoin ecosystem.

—-For ease of reference, the classification here is done by country.—

Ghana

Bitland: real estate with blockchain

BitLand is a startup that aims to allow individuals and organizations to register their property deeds on the BitShares blockchain. While the pilot takes place in Kumasi, Ghana, the team is looking to expand their reach further into the African continent. As the company grows, it is looking to build infrastructure in developing countries to potentially unlock billions of dollars in unexploited property rights.

Dream Bitcoin Foundation: Bitcoin Nonprofit Awareness

The Dream Foundation Bitcoin » is on a mission to facilitate the use and acceptance of cryptocurrencies as an alternative form of payment by providing an online cryptocurrency exchange platform. The site also allows merchants to accept bitcoin payments. The Dream Bitcoin Foundation will raise funds for projects that will build a bright future for the country by bringing together all young, ambitious and self-determined entrepreneurs and enabling them to realize their dreams, without government assistance.

PayPlux: An African cryptocurrency exchange

PayPlux is a cryptocurrency and bitcoin exchange platform that allows users in Ghana to purchase various digital currencies such as bitcoin, litecoin and ether using various payment methods. Thus, PayPlux aims to become the leader in the sector of e-currencies, payment solutions and associated services intended for businesses and individuals in Ghana and Nigeria.

PmCedi: An electronic wallet and electronic payments

PmCedis Capital is a company that provides e-wallet recharge and withdrawal service in small and medium quantities. It is committed to providing stable, efficient and reliable professional service to international and local customers. Since the company is officially the authorized agent for payment systems such as PerfectMoney, Bitcoin, Litecoin and WebMoney, it has a stable reserve that can meet the needs of its customers.

Token Media: Digital Marketing for Blockchain Start-ups

Token Media is a cryptocurrency marketing company launched by Elisha Owusu Akyaw in 2017. The startup aims to help new and existing blockchain projects reach their target audience through marketing solutions in line with global best practices. The company's clients have so far included the likes of PIVX, Komodo and SmartCash.

Kenya

BitHub Africa: a Blockchain Accelerator & Advice

AfricaBitHub Africa is a Nairobi-based blockchain consultancy and accelerator company that aims to empower Kenyan blockchain and fintech startups. It is led by John Karanja, a bitcoin pioneer in Kenya, who founded the company in December 2015. The company provides analysis, development, maintenance and support services to organizations wishing to deploy blockchains.

BitPesa: A system for sending funds

You must have already heard about it. BitPesa is a well-funded B2B bitcoin money transfer platform for African businesses. It is headquartered in Nairobi, with offices in Lagos, London and San Francisco. BitPesa's goal is to enable businesses to send payments to and from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania at low cost using bitcoin and blockchain.

Bitsoko: a mobile crypto wallet

Bitsoko is an Android mobile wallet that implements blockchain technology with the aim of removing the cost of transferring money between two people. The app also increases access to payment services. Thus, BitSoko aims to integrate blockchain technology with current mobile money platforms in Africa and thereby enable funds sent from the developed world via Bitcoin to be received as mobile money.

ChamaPesa: Blockchain-based accounting

ChamaPesa is a Nairobi-based startup developing a blockchain-based mobile accounting platform for local savings groups, called “chamas”. The ChamaPesa app provides transparency in savings group financial transactions and simplifies the process of joining and contributing to a chama.

Nigeria

Cryptogene: Education Platform and Blockchain Solutions

Cryptogene is a Nigeria-based startup that was founded in 2016 to create a hub for the integration of blockchain technology in Africa through education and the development of blockchain tools, both for individuals than for businesses.

CDIN: Nigeria Crypto Development Initiative

CDIN (Cryptographic Development Initiative in Nigeria) is a non-governmental organization that encourages the learning and practice of cryptography among relevant stakeholders in the public and private sectors. It is subdivided into three groups: Crypto Nigeria, Blockchain Nigeria and Nigeria Blockchain Alliance (NBA). CDIN organized the Nigerian Blockchain Alliance Conference to bring together cryptocurrency experts and government officials to discuss the opportunities offered by cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in Nigeria.

Remember that the Nigeria is one of the leading countries in Africa and around the world in terms of Bitcoin adoption.

• Lire: Nigeria launches new stablecoin cNGN

NairaEx: An exchange platform

Naira Exchange is one of the oldest bitcoin exchanges in Nigeria and one of the most popular platforms for buying and selling digital currencies in the country. On NairaEx, users can buy bitcoins with naira using bank transfers or bank deposits and use the exchange's wallet for transfers as they can also easily withdraw their bitcoin in local currency.

Kobocoin: A crypto payment aggregator

Kobocoin is a London-based digital payments and payments system similar to bitcoin but with African heritage. The Kobocoin token was launched by Nigerian developer and entrepreneur Felix Onyemechi Ugoji with the aim of facilitating remittances in Africa by providing a fast and inexpensive way to transfer money around the world.

SureRemit: The one who wants to overtake Wester Union

SureRemit provides Remit Tokens (RMT) to Africans in the diaspora to pay bills and purchase vouchers for family and friends back home in Africa. The startup leverages its network of merchants in Kenya, Rwanda and Nigeria, as well as international partners, to enable Africans to send e-vouchers redeemable for goods and services at pre-approved merchants.

South Africa

Bankymoon: solutions and services based on blockchain

Bankymoon is a South African startup that designs blockchain-based solutions and provides business consulting services. In 2015, Bankymoon created the world's first blockchain smart metering solution for power and utility networks in South Africa, enabling users to top up their utility meters with bitcoin payments.

Blockchain Academy: Bitcoin and Blockchain Education Platform)

The Blockchain Academy provides financial institutions, organizations, businesses, developers, entrepreneurs, startups, schools and governments with training on digital currencies and blockchain technology. The Blockchain Academy was created to help individuals better understand how this technology can improve existing organizations, systems and processes, so that they can develop their own applications using this innovative and revolutionary technology.

Luno: (formerly BitX)

Luno is one of Africa's largest cryptocurrency and mobile wallet platforms. With Luno's Bitcoin wallet, you can store your bitcoins securely and access them anytime, anywhere, with your smartphone. Besides, you can quickly send bitcoins to anyone, buy and sell bitcoins in supported countries in Africa.

Custos Media Technologies: For the prevention of blockchain-based music piracy)

CustosCustos Media Technologies is a technology company that aims to combat media piracy using blockchain technology. The process involves embedding an invisible, difficult-to-remove watermark into digital content. The watermark, in this case, being a Bitcoin private key. If the watermarked content leaks, there is a small bitcoin reward that can be collected by the first person to find it.

Ice3x: Bitcoin Exchange

Ice3x is a South African cryptocurrency exchange enabling the trading of Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ether in the South African Rand and Nigerian Naira. It is one of the oldest and most established African cryptocurrency exchanges and its user base has been growing steadily since its launch in 2013.

PayFast: Cryptocurrency Payments

PayFast is a payment processing service for South African websites. It enables easy, secure and instant money transfer between online buyers and sellers. The company offers bitcoin as a payment method and makes it available to its 30 merchant customers. It becomes the first payment processor in South Africa, and one of the first in the world, to offer cryptocurrency as an option.

The Sun Exchange

(peer-to-peer solar energy market)

The Sun Exchange is a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects people who want to invest in solar energy with those who want to access it. Its platform promises to transform digital currency into solar energy through transparent international revenue distribution, generating an annual return in excess of 10%. It hosts solar projects around the world for interested investors to choose a portfolio. All the investor needs is a bank account or a bitcoin wallet.

At ZoneBitcoin, we particularly like this initiative.

GeoPay: Peer-to-peer remittances

GeoPay is a peer-to-peer bulk transfer platform allowing people living in the diaspora to transfer money instantly across borders. The service provided is cheap and fast with no bitcoin knowledge needed. This is done through network agents installed in informal neighborhoods, mainly for unbanked populations in Africa. GeoPay charges a minimum cost of less than 3% per transaction, allowing users to make microtransactions for the financially excluded population between countries for grocery items, education, health and sanitation.

You can read our article: How to send bitcoin to Africa

Botswana

Satoshicentre: Bitcoin Hub

The Satoshi Center was founded in 2014 with the aim of “providing innovative innovations with the sole aim of changing the way we conduct our daily activities with ease through Blockchain.” The center is located in Gaborone, capital of Botswana. It serves as a local hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation, as well as a focal point for Botswana's local bitcoin community.

Plaas: Management of agricultural production based on blockchain

PlaasPlaas is a Gaborone-based startup that is working with various blockchain experts around the world, including BitcoinTracker and Bitsoko, to develop a mobile application that allows farmers and agricultural cooperatives to manage their daily agricultural production and inventory on the blockchain.

Zimbabwe

BitMari: A mobile wallet and financial solutions)

Bitmari offers a Bitcoin mobile wallet, Bitcoin-based remittances and financial solutions in Zimbabwe. In addition to remittance services, Bitmari is exploring land reform financing for farmers. Bitmari chose to set up operations in Zimbabwe due to its high cell phone penetration, high literacy rate, and extensive use of mobile banking services. Likewise, people seem to want to adopt cryptocurrencies. In 2017, BitMari partnered with the African Commercial Bank to help agriculture in Zimbabwe.

Golix: A Cryptocurrency Exchange

GolixGolix, formerly known as BitcoinFundi, is an African bitcoin startup based in Zimbabwe. The company allows users to buy and sell bitcoin using their bank account or mobile money through its bitcoin exchange. Golix was born in November 2014 under the original name BitFinance and the initial vision was not only to introduce bitcoin. The startup also wanted to make it easier to use on a daily basis. Exchange is at the heart of its activities. It added several altcoins that Zimbabweans can now buy using US dollars.

Final word on bitcoin adoption in Africa

Here is the complete list (for now) of startups and events that have emerged in Africa and are based on blockchain. For example, we could have cited the Africa Tech Summit in Kigali,Africa Bitcoin Conference in Ghana or even initiatives like the Bitcoin village Ekasi.

We cannot repeat how much these initiatives are to be encouraged and we hope that more and more projects of this kind see the light of day!

Also, if you are based in Africa and want to know the 5 best platforms to buy bitcoin in Africa.

See also:

• More and more “Bitcoin villages” are being created all over the world
• Bitcoin in Ivory Coast: State of play 🇨🇮
• Bitcoin in Senegal is gaining momentum
• Bitcoin continues to conquer the African continent
• The explosion of Bitcoin in Africa thanks to the use of Mobile Money

—

If you know of other startups opening in blockchain and cryptocurrencies, do not hesitate to let us know.