For consumers around the globe, mobile phones have become ubiquitous—providing instant, real-time access to information, social networks, entertainment and connectivity. In Africa, the world’s second-largest mobile market behind Asia, that connectivity has super-charged the mobile money industry, with Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) now accounting for 43% of the world’s active mobile money accounts.
Adopsi layanan pembayaran mobile (m-payment) yang meluas, yang dipercepat selama pandemi COVID-19, membuat banyak orang Afrika melirik mata uang kripto sebagai langkah alami berikutnya - yang terlepas dari sistem perbankan konvensional dan menawarkan perlindungan terhadap devaluasi mata uang. Faktanya, desas-desus sosial seputar istilah "kripto" di beberapa negara Afrika telah meningkat tahun ini, didorong oleh pengenalan berbagai mata uang digital terkenal, platform penyelesaian, dan aplikasi blockchain.
SSA has been at the forefront of the mobile money industry for over a decade, largely because a growing network of fintech companies have stepped in to provide digital payment options to consumers who lack access to a formal savings account or credit. According to the Fintech Times, approximately 57% of the country’s population do not have a traditional bank account. Comparatively, the Wall Street Journal reported late last year that SSA alone is now home to nearly half of the world’s 1.04 billion registered mobile money accounts.
Tingginya adopsi layanan mobile banking di Afrika, dikombinasikan dengan fakta bahwa benua ini memiliki populasi termuda di seluruh dunia, meningkatkan minat dan kesadaran akan mata uang kripto. Dan mengingat mereka adalah konsumen termuda di dunia, pembayaran digital dan mata uang kripto memiliki daya tarik yang jauh lebih besar daripada penawaran perbankan tradisional. Bagi konsumen yang mengutamakan mobile-first ini, pembayaran digital dan mata uang memberikan kemandirian dan kebebasan finansial, dan mereka optimis dengan prospek mata uang kripto di masa depan. Hal ini menghadirkan peluang penting bagi penyedia, platform, dan layanan di seluruh lanskap telekomunikasi dan layanan keuangan.
Adoption of crypto currencies, particularly across emerging economies, has skyrocketed this year, with blockchain data company Chainalysis reporting global adoption growth of more than 2300% between Q3 2019 and Q2 2021. Africa represents the world’s smallest crypto economy (2% of global value), but the prominence of this form of money is accelerating adoption. In fact, Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, recently became the first nation on the continent to roll out its own digital currency: the eNaira.
But buzz about crypto started well before the introduction of the eNaira. Many consumers across the continent began learning about digital currencies when Senegalese-American singer and entrepreneur Akon announced plans in 2018 to build a blockchain and crypto currency-powered city in Senegal. Consequently, Akon’s “Akoin” currency that he wants to power Akon City, his planned sustainable smart city in Senegal, is among the most popular crypto topics that Nielsen has been tracking across the media landscape.
Despite the buzz about Akon and Akoin, however, Bitcoin is the most discussed crypto currency in Africa, accounting for 63% of conversations about digital currencies, followed by Ethereum (10%) and Doge (7.5%). More importantly, overall consumer sentiment about digital currencies is neutral to positive. While growing and lucrative—even sanctioned by governments—the crypto landscape is fertile for scams, with many attaching themselves to aspects of pop culture, including the recent Squid Game cryptocurrency.
As technology advances infrastructures and sustainable development, fintech will grow to play a particularly important role for emerging economies. Strategy&, PwC’s consulting business, expects cashless transaction volume in Africa to increase 78% through 2025 and then 64% between 2025 and 2030.
Dengan begitu banyak peluang yang ada di depan mata, bisnis perlu mengembangkan dan mempertahankan hubungan yang berarti dengan konsumen, mengingat semakin luasnya pilihan yang tersedia bagi konsumen. Seperti halnya upaya pemasaran lainnya, merek perlu membuktikan nilai mereka kepada konsumen, bekerja untuk mempertahankan loyalitas mereka, dan menjadikan mereka sebagai pusat dari segala sesuatu yang mereka lakukan.
