Sasai, the new all-in-one App from Cassava Fintech International (CFI), is exhibiting at AfricaTech, the fintech and digital expo that runs concurrently with AfricaCom, the continent’s largest telco and tech conference held in Cape Town, South Africa, every year.
The conference, which brings together hundreds of telco, fintech and digital technology players, financial services providers, global vendors, developers, operators and thought leaders, along with thousands of prospective clients, has become the premier meeting place of choice for the people driving innovative and tech solutions in Africa.
Speaking from the Sasai stand yesterday, CFI Group Chief Executive Officer Darlington Mandivenga said he was excited at the opportunity to showcase an App developed by Africans, at the continent’s top tech and digital conference.
“We are excited to be here, showcasing the power and possibilities that the Sasai App brings not just to Africans, but to the entire world,” Mandivenga said.
The conference, which runs from November 12 to November 14, 2019, is attended by 15 000 people and features about 400 exhibitors from across the world.
The Sasai App, which was launched a little over three months ago and is available on the Google and Apple stores, is an all-in-one super app that offers payments, chat (instant messaging and social media) and entertainment features on one App.
The multipurpose smartphone App, which has so far been downloaded in over 155 countries and whose rich features go beyond those offered by Apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram, also bears the functionality to do remittances, among many others
Mandivenga said while visitors to the stand liked the rich features that Sasai carries, it was the remittance feature that stood out for so many users and potential partners that visited the Sasai stand.
“The response by both consumer and business-to-business clients and prospects has been amazing. We have been inundated by serious partners and potential merchants from across the continent. But I can tell you that the interest in remittances has really stood out,” Mandivenga said.
There are millions of Africans that work or live in the Diaspora, who send home millions of dollars per year. The World Bank Group reported that remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa grew by 10% in 2018, to $46billion.
Sasai’s in-app remittance feature is therefore something that quite understandably interests millions of Africans.
“Our App’s footprint is global, and Sasai can be downloaded and used anywhere in the world. But that’s not the good news: The real good news for me is that we offer international remittances at a fraction of the current cost of sending money home from abroad and this, I think, will not just help individuals and families, but go a long way towards positively impacting African nations and local communities,” said Mandivenga, adding that as part of SASAI’s ongoing launch offer, customers could in fact remit funds home for free, to all participating corridors.
“We are fast becoming the strongest remittance brand, with capabilities to remit from source markets which currently include the United Kingdom, the European Union and South Africa,” Mandivenga said. He added that current participating corridors included Nigeria, Kenya, the DRC, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India and Pakistan.
“By end of November, all major corridors in Africa will have been covered,” Mandivenga said.
The CFI Group CEO also spoke about the App’s elaborate suite of languages, saying Sasai was the first App to include local languages.
“Sasai includes local languages, which users in various markets can choose and customize for their preferred experience. As of now the App includes more than 25 local languages,” said Mandivenga.
The Explore feature of Sasai, which allows one to access several specific services in a chosen market, has also been localized on the App so that users can easily enjoy services they are familiar with in their home countries.