Machankura Brings Bitcoin to Feature Phones via USSD

Machankura, a South African startup founded in 2022 by software engineer Kgothatso Ngako, enables Bitcoin transactions using USSD technology on feature phones. This addresses Africa's digital divide where 860 million people lack internet access despite 710 million mobile subscribers. The service allows users to create wallets, check balances, and send Bitcoin via USSD codes without apps or internet. Machankura targets young, tech-savvy users (35+) in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and other countries, with 39,000 connected phones. It connects to the Lightning Network for low-cost transactions, processing over 19 BTC ($1.2M) in volume. The startup faces challenges including regulatory uncertainty, USSD dependency, and unstable on-ramps, but aims to embed Bitcoin into daily financial routines like M-PESA.

SOURCE: https://techcabal.com/2026/03/04/machankuras-solution-for-crypto-transactions/