South African Startup Machankura Develops Bitcoin Tool for Pre-Smartphone Mobile Devices

Machankura, a startup founded by Kgothatso Ngako, has created a software tool that enables Bitcoin transactions over the Lightning Network on pre-smartphone mobile devices without internet connection. The company has experienced significant growth, with its user base increasing from 3,500 to 13,600 in less than a year. Machankura's next goal is to provide African users with true financial self-sovereignty through its Bitcoin Java Card project, which allows users to hold their own private keys. Phoenix is incorporating some of Muun wallet's successful features, such as a good multisig on-chain wallet, at a lower cost due to the use of Taproot. The co-organizers of Adopting Bitcoin Cape Town 2024, Hermann Vivier and Ngako, discuss the potential reluctance of users to pay the initial base chain fee for Lightning channels, but emphasize the importance of upfront costs and the benefits of using Lightning for lower transaction costs. Machakura, a custodial service, has received feedback from users who prefer the ability to call for customer support, but the founder is considering adding a self-custodial option due to the potential risks of being a custodial service in African countries. The founder also believes that a bitcoin ban could actually be beneficial for builders in Africa, as it would force them to create censorship-resistant technology.