2013-07-08 Memeburn - Kipochi brings Bitcoin to Africa through M-Pesa

[kiko]

http://memeburn.com/2013/07/kipochi-brings-bitcoin-to-africa-through-m-pesa/

Kenyans will be able to send and receive Bitcoin and convert it to and from an M-Pesa balance. You can also buy and invest in Bitcoin. Though what stands out the most is probably the fact that the Kenyan diaspora will now compete with international transfer companies such as Western Union. Exchanging money will thus be made much cheaper as Bitcoin only charge US$0.04.
Kipochi works on all mobile phones, having SMS, USSD and HTML5 frontends, as well as a desktop computers.

[hgmichna]

Has anybody tried it? Please report.

A successful trial would be to send bitcoins to a Kipochi wallet, then change them into KSh through M-Pesa.

Alternatively, buy bitcoins from M-Pesa money.

I find it suspicious that nobody is reporting any success here.

[solex]

I saw a couple of follow-up items recently, looks like only a few people have tried the service. I suspect that competing with KSh is the wrong track. Bitcoin's killer function in Africa is international transfers from Western countries direct to the local people, fast and cheap. Once this area has taken off then it should do better for general local usage.

[hgmichna]

I saw a couple of follow-up items recently, looks like only a few people have tried the service. I suspect that competing with KSh is the wrong track. Bitcoin's killer function in Africa is international transfers from Western countries direct to the local people, fast and cheap. Once this area has taken off then it should do better for general local usage.

I don't understand your reply. Did you try Kipochi or didn't you? Have you heard of anybody who did? Who? If not, why did you even bother to reply?

Should your African friends eat bitcoins?