Despite only being at 46% internet penetration, Ghana has long been a leader in Africa’s digital entertainment evolution, and 14 million internet users is not to be sneezed at. That’s more than Sweden, which with just 10 million online has shown the world how digital books can transform small markets.

Bookmate has beaten YouScribe to become the first digital books subscription service operating in Ghana, joining Ama Dadson‘s AkooBooks Audio in the Ghana digital books arena.

Despite only being at 46% internet penetration Ghana has long been a leader in Africa’s digital entertainment evolution, and 14 million internet users is not to be sneezed at. That’s more than Sweden, which with just 10 million online has shown the world how digital books can transform small markets.

Like YouScribe, Bookmate has gone the telco route for its African expansion, with MTN the partner in Ghana. This takes care of reach – all MTN’s mobile customers – and the all important problem of payments in a wold where card payments are rare. Book-lovers just pay using their mobile credit and can do so monthly, weekly or even daily.

The launch, at the 20th Ghana International Book Fair in Accra, offers Ghanaians a wide choice of content, although its; not clear just how many of the 1.8 million ebooks and 100,000 audiobooks across 16 languages will be available. Territorial restrictions may apply.

Andrew Baev, Bookmate CEO, said in a press release that, “The growing popularity of e-books makes this partnership (with MTN) timely,” adding that Bookmate had seen 60% global growth since the Pandemic began, although it’s not clear if that refers to revenue or subscribers.

Already operating in twenty countries, Bookmate says it will be launching in several more this year.

France-based YouScribe has a head-start on the continent, with over one million subscribers. Most recently it launched in Algeria and is known to be targetting the English-language markets. YouScribe has been in South Africa since April 2021.

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