Press Release: Empowering Bitcoin Adoption in Africa — Kotani Pay and Machankura Unveil Strategic Partnership

Kotani Pay
3 min readDec 12, 2023

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Kotani Pay, a prominent on-ramp/off-ramp payment platform, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Machankura, a groundbreaking platform facilitating Bitcoin access via the Lightning Network on feature phones and smartphones. This collaboration is a milestone, bringing together Kotani Pay’s cutting-edge API for seamless integration and cash transactions across Africa with Machankura’s Digits, the latest product from Port 8333, dedicated to accelerating Bitcoin adoption throughout the African continent.

Azteco Voucher Redemption with Machankura’s Digits

Digits offers a premier solution for obtaining and sharing Azteco lightning vouchers, enabling users to redeem them for Bitcoin. The redemption process is quick and user-friendly, with just four simple steps:

Step 1. Visit digits.africa.

Step 2. Enter your phone number and the desired amount you want to redeem.

Step 3. Complete the order using your mobile money provider.

Step 4. Use the URL to receive SATS in your desired lightning network wallet by scanning the QR code. Alternatively, you can copy the 16-digit voucher code to be used through Machankura’s USSD interface.

Step 5: For the Machankura USSD interface, dial *483*8333*16-digit code# and confirm the voucher redemption.

Kotani Pay Lightning network integration

The successful integration of the Kotani Pay API with the Bitcoin Lightning Network represents a major breakthrough for Kotani Pay, elevating its support to 20 networks. This strategic move is particularly noteworthy as it taps into the capabilities of the Lightning Network, a second-layer scaling solution designed to streamline transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain. By leveraging this innovative solution, Kotani Pay is not only reducing processing times but also mitigating network congestion, contributing to a more seamless and efficient payment experience for users. This integration underscores Kotani Pay’s dedication to leading-edge technologies, positioning itself as a key player in the rapidly evolving landscape of the Web3 ecosystem.

Leadership Insights on the Partnership

Leadership from Kotani Pay and Machankura shared their enthusiasm for the partnership and its potential impact:

“The Bitcoin network has proven itself to be the most robust decentralized financial system in a time of great uncertainty over inflation, interest rates and the wider global financial system. We are excited as part of our strategy to partner with Machankura to offer on ramp/ off ramp services for lightning infrastructure companies. We are excited about all developments within the lightning infrastructure space and see positive sentiment around Bitcoin as an asset class as many investors and regulators realize it’s a commodity that drives utility on the Bitcoin network more than security.” — Felix Macharia, CEO & co-founder, Kotani Pay.

“Thanks to the wonderful work of Kotani Pay, users can make payments using mobile money in Ghana and Kenya. We anticipate making the service available in more countries as the weeks progress and the collaboration continues.” — Kgothatso Ngako, CEO and founder of Machankura.

A Seamless On-Ramping/Off-Ramping Experience for Bitcoin Adoption

As Kotani Pay and Machankura embark on this collaborative journey, their shared vision is to provide enhanced access to Bitcoin for users across Africa. By focusing on a seamless on-ramping/off-ramping experience, the aim is to encourage mass adoption of Bitcoin across the continent, with a special emphasis on reaching the unconnected populations.

About Machankura

Machankura is a platform that allows you to buy goods, and send and receive bitcoin via the Lightning Network without the need for internet or smartphone. Committed to financial inclusion, Machankura empowers individuals and businesses in Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, Malawi, and Zambia.

Website: 8333.mobi

About Kotani Pay

Kotani Pay is an on-ramp and off-ramp payment platform connecting Web3 Fintechs across Africa with local payment structures, including mobile money and banks. Dedicated to bridging the Web3 and Fiat worlds, Kotani Pay’s robust white-labeled API provides cash-out services in Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, and Zambia.

Website: kotanipay.com

For media inquiries, please contact:

Brian Kimotho — Chief Marketing Officer

Email: brian(at)kotanipay.com

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Kotani Pay

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