IVORY COAST – Kenyan startup Tappi, which helps SMEs build their online identity through a chat tool that automatically creates a webpage, has expanded into its third market, Ivory Coast, in an extension to its existing partnership with telecoms firm MTN.
Tappi is a full-stack SaaS business built for small businesses in Africa to help them find customers online. It helps SMBs get discovered, find customers, and build their reputation using messaging, payments, and AI.
For as low as US$8 per month, Ivorian MSMEs can now receive access to Tappi’s SaaS and enterprise-grade tools, empowering them to generate SEO-optimised websites in less than two minutes, distribute online ads and secure access to a host of additional digital services.
Through Tappi’s partnership with MTN Ivory Coast, the telecom’s 17 million customers in the country will also be able to access these services via integrated data bundles.
“With a strong GDP growth rate of 6.9 per cent, Ivory Coast not only represents the ideal market to empower MSMEs primed to digitize and significantly expand their customer base, but will act as a critical gateway to access Francophone Africa’s 150 million consumers as we identify future growth opportunities across the region,” Tappi founder Kenfield Griffith said.
“Alongside MTN, we are proud to kickstart this mission with one of our top partners, who has been integral to Tappi since day one and is equally committed to the goal of digitizing MSMEs across Africa.
“With over 17 million customers in Ivory Coast alone, and a robust mobile money network, we firmly believe MTN holds the perfect reach, scale and infrastructure to seamlessly get technology into the hands of MSMEs ready to grow their businesses, and we look forward to driving ahead with the next phase of our partnership.”
Founded by Kenfield Griffith and Louis Majanja, tappi allows SME owners to download its app, add their “look and feel”, and promote their business through a three-step process that goes to Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads using airtime credit or mobile money.
Since its inception in 2022, Tappi has been on a rapid growth journey capturing verified reviews on over US$3 million consumer transactions and engaging with over 150,000 consumers.
This expansion comes a month after Tappi secured an undisclosed investment from Renew Capital Angels. This was after a pre-seed raise of US$1.5 million in December 2023.
Renew Capital is an Africa-focused impact investment firm that backs innovative companies with high-growth potential.
Renew Capital manages investments made on behalf of the Renew Capital Angels, a global network of angel investors, foundations and family offices who seek financial returns and sustainable social impact.
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