TechCentral TCS - The TechCentral Show

How MoyaApp is taking on WhatsApp, and winning

Loading player...
The “data-free” messaging app MoyaApp, which already has six million active monthly users in South Africa, is working hard to become as big as WhatsApp in the country.
The app’s founder, Gour Lentell, joins Duncan McLeod on TechCentral's technology show, TC|Daily, to talk about how the development of the app is progressing.
Lentell talks about the history of MoyaApp, how it’s able to offer “data-free” messaging to people who don’t have data or airtime, and why he believes this is a winning proposition in a country where Meta Platforms-owned WhatsApp has become entrenched.
In this episode of TC|Daily, Lentell unpacks:
• MoyaApp’s business model
• Its growth projections
• His background and how he came to create MoyaApp
• Why MoyaApp is succeeding in South Africa when China’s WeChat failed
• The evolution of instant messaging in South Africa, from Mxit to BBM to WhatsApp
• Super apps and their role in the ecosystem – including a discussion on Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter
• MoyaApp’s monetisation model
• MoyaPay, fintech and a cashless economy
Don’t miss this insightful discussion about a homegrown app taking on global giants.
17 Oct 2022 4AM English South Africa Technology · Business

Other recent episodes

Donovan Marsh on AI and the future of filmmaking

Award-winning South African film director Donovan Marsh has pivoted to artificial intelligence filmmaking and believes generative AI tools could fundamentally reshape how movies are made – and who gets to make them. Marsh, whose 30-year career includes directing the Hollywood submarine thriller Hunter Killer starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman,…
7 Apr 4AM 52 min

MTN’s Divyesh Joshi on the strategy behind Pi

MTN South Africa has launched Pi, a digital-only mobile operator that runs on MTN’s network but operates as a standalone brand, offering contract-free mobile and home 5G connectivity through a single app, with no call centres, no credit checks and no lock-in. In this episode of the TechCentral Show, TechCentral…
1 Apr 12AM 21 min

Anoosh Rooplal on the Post Office’s last stand

The South African Post Office has been in business rescue – a form of bankruptcy protection – since July 2023. Business rescue practitioners Anoosh Rooplal and Juanito Damons have made it clear to parliament that the entity will not survive liquidation unless a R3.8-billion bailout is received soon. With some…
27 Mar 8AM 27 min

Sink or swim? Antony Makins on how AI is rewriting the rules of work

Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how work gets done, it’s rewriting the rules of business. Organisations are scrambling to redefine processes and job descriptions, while employees are grappling with new tools and new ways of thinking that are transforming the way they approach their daily tasks. In this episode of…
5 Mar 6AM 40 min

Watts & Wheels S1E4: ‘We drive an electric Uber’

The fourth episode of TechCentral’s electric motoring show, Watts & Wheels, covers a packed news agenda, two vehicle reviews and an in-depth look at the 2026 South African Car of the Year semi-finalists. The episode opens with the latest EV news, including fresh import duty statistics from Donald MacKay of…
10 Feb 6AM 1 hr 21 min
All episodes