Denis Opudo
Opera is a Scandinavian based firm. The company takes a rare move and plans to launch and develop its products in Africa. The move is seen as unique and rare by the fact that none of the Western-born technology firms has ever trusted Africa. The commitment by Opera shows their vision for the continent at large.
The company launched the Opera News sometimes back. Opera News is an intelligence powered application. The launch was an indication of how the company was doing well on the African First strategy. The launch of Opera News came after the company launched an Opay. Opay is a web-based payment platform which is currently available in Kenya.
The diverse nature of the company makes it adapt well to various markets. Opera browser products act as a way through for users to the internet. The users get exposed to a good number of other services and products. Opera currently does not enjoy a huge user network. But the management is optimistic that it will come with time in future.
The Opera Mini browser is already popular on the continent. This might be attributed to its data-saver features. The company announced in 2017. The announcement was that it was planning to invest $100 million in Africa’s digital economy. But the details on ways on how the money will be spent have not been revealed by the company. Opay is part of the beneficiary of the investment. The company hired former KCB executive Eddie Ndichu. Ndichu will help in driving its fintech activity in Africa as it plans to put up an office in Nairobi.
The uptake figures on Opay have not been brought out to the public. Opera has been freer in revealing some key figures on the Opera News applications. The company managed to get around 100,000 users in two weeks. This was during its piloting program in five countries during the Christmas period. The piloting took place in Ghana, Kenya, South Africa Tanzania and Nigeria. The app is now available in 23 markets with Francophone nation’s part of it.
