Chpter, the Kenyan AI-powered social commerce platform, has announced a significant expansion into 11 new African countries through a strategic partnership with fintech giant Flutterwave.
This deal, announced on Thursday, enables merchants across Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Malawi, and Zambia to accept payments via WhatsApp and Instagram, boosting social commerce across the continent.
New markets opened for social commerce payments
This partnership allows Chpter’s customers to accept payments through mobile money, cards, and bank transfers, with Flutterwave processing and settling transactions seamlessly in the background. Merchants can collect payments in local currencies or USD, making cross-border trade more straightforward and efficient.
According to Tesh Mbaabu, Chpter’s co-founder and president, “Besides Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, where Chpter has been operational, merchants in these 11 new countries can now sign up and accept both local and international payments on WhatsApp through us, with payment options such as cards (local and international), mobile money and bank transfers. This major feat has been made possible because of this collaboration with Flutterwave”.
WhatsApp and Instagram now account for up to 60 percent of inbound traffic for Chpter’s merchants, demonstrating the power of conversational commerce. CEO Mark Kiarie noted, “We have been onboarding dozens of new businesses every week, and many of these businesses are coming from markets such as Senegal and Tanzania, despite us not having done any direct outreach there yet. This partnership means these businesses can now go live on Chpter and start accepting payments directly via WhatsApp and Instagram”.
AI-driven commerce and enhanced customer engagement
Chpter is shifting towards an AI-first approach, with about 45% of customer interactions already handled by AI agents. Mbaabu shared, “We see a future where over 80% of engagements will be handled by AI as our capabilities improve and trust increases.” This AI integration enables automated sales and customer service conversations, providing round-the-clock responsiveness across different African time zones.
The company recently launched Pluto, a WhatsApp API suite designed to help developers and businesses build complete customer journeys on WhatsApp, from lead capture to sales and support. As a Meta Business Partner, Chpter leverages advanced features like product catalogues for in-chat checkout and marketing campaign tools, all accessible from a unified dashboard.
This expansion and technological innovation come after Chpter raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding in September 2024, led by Pani and supported by investors like Techstars, Norrsken, and Renew Capital. The startup operates on a subscription model and earns revenue from paid messaging and AI-powered customer interactions on Meta platforms, positioning itself as a key player in Africa’s growing e-commerce ecosystem.
This partnership between Chpter and Flutterwave marks a significant step in making social commerce more accessible, efficient, and AI-powered across Africa.