Popular Platforms for Buying & Selling Bitcoin in Africa

Top platforms for exchanging digital assets in Africa

Luno

Luno is a South African founded and globally recognised digital asset exchange based in Cape Town and operating across many countries. Luno is popular in South Africa and Nigeria especially.

The exchange offers users the opportunity to buy and sell cryptos such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, and Bitcoin Cash. Also widely used in Europe in places such as the UK, Luno is a trusted exchange with a well-deserved reputation.

Read our comprehensive review of the Luno exchange platform here.

Paxful

Paxful is headquartered in the US and has over 300 payment methods for buying BTC. It has an interactive UI that makes it easy to trade. This is a good option for Africans. You can read our in-depth Paxful platform review here.

Features

Peer to peer
Wallet
Buy/sell

Pros

Multiple payment methods
Cross-nation trading

Cons

Unreliable customer service
Supports only BTC

Remitano

Remitano was founded in 2016 and is used in over fifty countries. It’s a safe peer to peer platform where you can sell/buy Bitcoin. The platform offers users a cryptocurrency wallet, a incentivised affiliate program, and even games. It also supports over 10 digital currencies that you can trade or exchange on the platform which has a decent and easy to navigate interface.

Features

Peer to peer
Wallet
Bank transfer
Debit/credit card

Pros

Good UI
24/7 customer support
Safe and secure

Cons

Limited payment methods

Yellow Card

This exchange was founded in 2019 with its headquarters in Nigeria but registered in the US. Yellow Card allows you to transact through your local bank account, and Africans can earn more if they sign up as merchants.

Features

Broker
Buy/sell BTC
Wallet
BTC merchant
Cash payment
Debit
Bank transfer

Pros

Great customer service
Friendly UI

Cons

Only supports BTC

LocalBitcoins

This is also available to Africans. It was incepted in 2012 with its base in Finland. LocalBitcoins is a peer to peer marketplace for trading BTC.

Features

Peer to peer
Trading
Wallet
Buy/sell
Debit card
Wire transfer
PayPal

Pros

Friendly for newbies
Several payment methods
Fast

Cons

Prone to hacking
Small trade volumes

Bitpesa

Very popular with Africans. Bitpesa is based in Kenya and was created in 2013. Bitpesa is both a BTC exchange and payment platform. You can purchase any amount of BTC using mobile money. Additionally, Bitpesa facilitates trade between countries such as Tanzania and its partners in the UAE and China.

Features

Broker
Payment gateway
Buy/sell BTC
Bank transfer
Mobile money
PAGA account
Debit card

Pros

Friendly UI
Several payment methods

Cons

Fluctuating fees
Supports only BTC

Coindirect

It was launched in 2017 and combines brokerage, peer to peer and trading services. Coindirect supports over 20 countries. Coindirect allows users to trade large amounts of BTC using its OTC service.

Features

Broker
Buy/sell cryptos
Wallet
Swap cryptos
PayPal
Bank transfer

Pros

Great UI
Supports over 30 cryptos

Cons

Exorbitant fees

Bit2Me

Africans can trade BTC and other cryptos on Bits2Me. It is based in Spain and was founded in 2014. This exchange allows you to purchase BTC using your local currency.

Features

Broker
OTC
Wallet
Swap
Mobile app
Bank transfer
Debit/credit card
Cash deposit

Pros

Great services
Supports many cryptos

Cons

Weak customer service reviews

LocalCryptos

This is a peer to peer crypto marketplace where Africans can trade BTC. Michael Foster founded it, and the headquarters is in Australia. It was previously called LocalEthereum in 2017 and ETH was the only supported crypto at the time.

In 2019, the name was changed to LocalCryptos when it incorporated BTC and other cryptos. This platform supports users all over the globe, and you can purchase BTC using your local currency.

Features