Denis Opudo
Africa’s Talking is a tech startup that offers communication platforms as application program interface (APIs). It does that to more than 20,000 software developers across Africa. The developers are currently serving over 1,000 digital firms. This helps them to develop applications efficiently and faster. The startup’s scalable platform helps it to serve both a single man owned shop and also large enterprises. The enterprises include large companies, startups and developers. It helps them to lodge video, messages and voice conversation into their respective apps. This allows them to improve their connection with a group of their clients. It also offers cloud-based software that checks on telco infrastructure in a number of markets in Africa.
The startup also offers SMS services that enable farmers to improve on their crop yields. Moreover, it gives voice APIs that link women to family planning clinics that are close to them. Africa’s Talking has a simple APIs that helps businesses to develop value addictive and robust digital products. Africa’s Talking recently secured an equity investment worth $8.6 million. This came from Social Capital, International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Orange Digital Ventures. The startup is planning to use the Series A investment to expand its service delivery across Africa. Furthermore, Wale Ayeni from IFC joined the Board of Africa Talking.
Africa’s Talking has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. It recently expanded its service delivery to Nigeria, Malawi, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. According to Nikunj Jinsi, IFC Global Head for Venture Capital, the firm’s investment will assist Africa’s Talking increase in its unified solutions to other emerging markets across Africa. He added that this will help them to bridge the wide gap and speed up the African digital economy. Samuel Gikandi Africa’s Talking Co-founder and CEO said that the investment will edge on IFC’s experience in the continent’s increasing the development and expansion of new products. A fraction of the investment will be used to nurture developers develop products at Africa’s Talking Studio.
