28th March 2024

Better business. Better community

Business Industry and Financial

Can Super Apps Succeed In The African Financial Services System?

Imagine having a magic bag from which you can fetch all your financial services, so instead of having separate bags for different services, everything is organized in that bag. Formally this magic app is called a super app.

Super apps are therefore a one-stop-shop for all financial services, so one can pay bills, order food, hail rides, and shop from the app.

Some countries are already effectively using these super apps, examples include WeChat in China, Paytm in India, and Gojek in Indonesia.

The use of super apps for financial services has great potential to succeed in Africa, especially with the continuous smartphone penetration in the continent and the increased adoption of the mobile payment system.

There have been attempts at super apps in Africa, such as Opay in Nigeria, and Zando in South Africa, these apps are gaining acceptance and with time their full potential will be maximized.

Various factors would determine these super apps’ chances of success in financial services in Africa, an important factor will be ease of transaction.

This involves how long it takes for a receiver to confirm a transaction from the sender and what are the charges for each transaction.

Another factor that could improve the chances of success is the user experience, how easily one can navigate the super app interface, and how easily one funds their wallet on the app.

What are the customer support systems put in place, are they quick and efficient? Partnerships will most likely increase the success rate of super apps in Africa.

These partnerships could be existing independent financial service providers, local merchants, public transport owners, and local food stores, among others.

Also, trust is another major factor for success in the financial services market in Africa. If the super apps will succeed, people have to trust that they can conduct transactions securely on these apps and that their money is safe.

Africa is ripe for a super app, however, the implementation might face some challenges such as limited network connectivity, especially in rural areas and some urban dwellings, power outages, as well as regulatory challenges.

Another challenge is getting the trust of users who already have different apps meeting these financial service needs. It might be hard to gain their trust when others have failed them in the past.

So people might want to play safe and then experiment with new apps, especially since it’s a financial service app.

To navigate this challenge, investing in user education and strategic marketing will come in handy. This will let them in on the importance, ease of use, and security of the super app.

The super app apart from integrating all these financial services should also have its competitive advantage.

In conclusion, research would always show the market needs, Africa is a continent with different countries comprising people with diverse cultures, values, and systems. Understanding the need, and tailoring the super app to meet those needs will help super apps succeed.


Don’t miss important articles during the week. Subscribe to techbuild.africa weekly digest for updates


link