Kenyan startup Tappi, specializing in helping SMEs establish their online presence through a chat tool that automatically generates a webpage, has expanded its operations to the Ivory Coast. This move marks a continuation of its partnership with the telecommunications company MTN. Co-founded by Kenfield Griffith and Louis Majanja, Tappi offers an app through which SME owners can design their online “look and feel” and promote their business via Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Instagram Ads using either airtime credit or mobile money.
Since its launch in 2022, Tappi has rapidly grown, accumulating verified reviews for over US$3 million in consumer transactions and interacting with more than 150,000 consumers. In December, Disrupt Africa reported that Tappi had secured US$1.5 million in an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round. The expansion into Ivory Coast marks the company’s third market, following its entry into Nigeria.
In Ivory Coast, MSMEs can access Tappi’s SaaS and enterprise-grade tools for as low as US$8 per month. These tools enable users to create SEO-optimized websites in under two minutes, distribute online advertisements, and gain access to various digital services. Thanks to Tappi’s partnership with MTN Ivory Coast, the telecom’s 17 million customers in the country can also access these services through integrated data bundles.
Griffith highlights the significance of Ivory Coast as a market with a robust GDP growth rate of 6.9%, viewing it not only as an ideal place to empower MSMEs to digitize and expand their customer bases but also as a strategic gateway to the 150
