Africa is a unique case study when it comes to Bitcoin and
cryptocurrency adoption.
Unlike in the USA and Europe, where Bitcoin is mainly used as
a store of value and wealth, Africans are finding real uses for the king of
crypto.
And this has led to the success of certain companies.
Bitcoin-based companies that took time to understand the unique nature of the African market have been able to compete more favourably in the continent. Companies such as Paxful, Localbitcoins, and Bitpesa have experienced massive success within the African continent.
A December 2018 article reported that Paxful had experienced a 20% growth during the year, with much of this
growth being driven by increasing African users.
This begs the question, what is Paxful doing that other
exchanges aren’t doing?
In this article, we delve into how Paxful is helping to promote Bitcoin Adoption in Africa.
Let’s dig in.
African Expatriates Love Paxful, Here’s Why
Picture this!
You got lucky and landed a job in a foreign country—one with
better economic conditions than your home country. After receiving your first cheque, you decide
to send some money home.
However, none of your family members have a bank account. The only way to send money is either through expensive money transfer services or a courier whom you may not even trust.
This is the case for many Africans working in foreign
countries. Sending money home is always a headache. If it’s not the high prices
for sending money—as high as 39% in some countries, it’s the stress that comes
with worrying if the courier will deliver the cash to your family back home.
Companies like Paxful have, however, made the situation easier
for these Africans. With Paxful, African expatriates can send money home
without worrying about high transaction fees or loss of their money.
This feature is one of the main reasons Paxful has achieved so much growth in Africa; especially in West Africa. In 2018, the Ghanaian Paxful userbase almost tripled. Interestingly, most of these new users were not Ghanaians, but expatriate Nigerians looking to send money home through Paxful.
Through Paxful, many Africans, even those working in the
middle east, Europe, or USA, can send money to their relatives conveniently and
at lower rates.
Paxful is Promoting Entrepreneurship in Africa, Here’s How
“Bitcoin will achieve mainstream adoption when people start
using it for everyday uses.”
Africans are doing just that.
They’re using Bitcoin to do businesses that they wouldn’t be
able to conduct using fiat. By being one
of the most trusted and widely used wallets in the continent, Paxful is helping
promote this entrepreneurial revolution.
In some Africans countries, banks have set limits on the
amount of money that one can use for online transactions.
Let’s take Nigeria as an example; banks allow people to use up
to $100 for online transactions per month. This limitation prevents many
Nigerians from being able to buy certain goods from online marketplaces.
However, through peer to peer exchanges such as Paxful, Nigerians can be able
to exchange Bitcoin for dollars then use these dollars to purchase goods on
online marketplaces.
Paxful is also helping many Africans get through restrictive
government policies and conduct business.
In countries facing high inflation, central banks limit the
conversion of the local currency to dollars. You’re not allowed to send high
amounts of money outside your country.
However, in a continent where some businesses thrive on selling used
goods from the USA and Europe, this limitation negatively affects many
companies.
Africans are taking advantage of the uncontrollable nature of
bitcoin to conduct import businesses. Using exchanges such as Paxful, African
entrepreneurs can sell Bitcoins and use the money to buy the used goods for
resale in their countries.
Freelances Are Also Part of the Increasing User Base
Africa is budding with talent.
Be it writers, software developers, or designers, Africa is
filled with talented individuals. Some companies and individuals in developed
countries have discovered this fact and are hiring Africans in large numbers.
By outsourcing work to Africa, these companies are taking advantage of cheap labour. Africans, on the other hand, are benefiting from these online jobs as they are a source of employment. Rather than going out to look for a job that pays peanuts, African youths are opting to work online.
In certain countries, payment methods such as PayPal don’t
work, which leaves many of these online freelances with limited payment
options.
In looking for an alternative, some online workers in Africa
are now accepting Bitcoin as a payment method.
And the Paxful wallet is making it possible for them to do so.
Much of the reason many African freelancers have decided to
work with Paxful is because of the reason below.
Paxful is Extremely Convenient
What’s more convenient than being able to send and receive
money through your mobile phone?
It’s why mobile money is big business in Africa.
Any financial or e-commerce company looking to succeed in the
continent must integrate mobile money as a payment option. The same goes for Bitcoin.
If Bitcoin is going to be mainstream in Africa, Bitcoin-powered companies and
wallets need to integrate with mobile
money services.
Paxful have done just that.
The Paxful wallet has gained popularity because it offers a mobile
money transfer option. Users can exchange their Bitcoins for local currencies
through mobile money services such as M-Pesa
Users can easily convert bitcoins to fiat or fiat to Bitcoin
in minutes, which has promoted both increased adoption and use of bitcoin in Africa.
Even Children and Youth Are Benefitting from Paxful
Many Africans still don’t understand Bitcoin. Some consider it
a scam, while some have never heard of it.
Paxful is working to change this.
Through education initiatives targeting youths in different
African countries, Paxful is promoting bitcoin awareness in the continent. The
company has already held workshops in South Africa and Kenya (this is where I
learned about Paxful and started using its wallet as a payment method).
During these workshops, the Paxful team introduced university students to bitcoin and the various ways it can help many of us Africans improve our lives. Paxful also awarded the attendees with $15 worth of bitcoin sent to their Paxful wallet—You learn, and you get paid, how awesome is that.
Paxful is also spearheading the #BuiltWithBitcoin campaign, which is looking to build 100 schools in Africa. All funded with
cryptocurrencies
So far, the company has already built two schools in Rwanda
and are currently planning to construct a third school. The company also hopes
to build schools in Uganda, Kenya, and Columbia.
By using Bitcoin for social good, Paxful is proving that Bitcoin is not a scam, but if used right can be a tool for social change.
Paxful and BitMart in Emerging Markets
Promoting the growth of cryptocurrency adoption in emerging markets such as Africa is a key objective for Paxful. This is evidenced by the announcement that it has integrated with global digital asset trading platform, BitMart. The collaboration aims to increase liquidity and scalability in the cryptocurrency industry.
The partnership with Paxful brings the BitMart platform into the peer-to-peer financial ecosystem, making it one of the only exchanges to enter into the sector. In addition, users of the platform will be able to make payments via Paxful.
Commenting on the collaboration, Ray Youssef, CEO and co-founder of Paxful said:
We’re excited to integrate with BitMart in efforts to bring more trading options to emerging markets. It has always been our mission to provide financial freedom worldwide and we see this as the next big step in the financial revolution
Check out our vlog to dig deeper into the story:
Why Paxful Is Leading the Race in Bitcoin Adoption in Africa: Final Thoughts
A great mentor of mine once said, “If you want to be
successful, you have to be exceptional, and do the unexpected.”
This is what Paxful has done on the African continent. Despite being based in the USA, the company took the time to learn how the African market operates and developed solutions that met the need of the African people.
Other than that, the company is actually giving back to the community through its different initiatives.
By being exceptional and doing more than expected Paxful will continue to be a leading figure for Bitcoin adoption in Africa.
Want to learn more about Paxful and how you can use for business in Africa and globally, check out Paxful today.
