Bitget says its Africa plan focuses on South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, as tokenised stocks and bonds move onto blockchain and regulation tightens.
Bitget is pushing expansion in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya as more traditional financial products move onto blockchain rails, according to comments from its Africa growth lead. The crypto exchange says product tokenisation and institutional adoption will shape the next phase of digital asset markets in Africa.
Bitget says its Africa strategy is centred on South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, using local licences and brand partnerships to grow.
In a recent Business Day Spotlight discussion, Callan Richardson, Bitget’s head of growth for Africa, said the company expects more “traditional finance” activity to shift onto blockchain-based platforms.
Tokenisation is the key concept here. It means turning an asset like a share, government bond, ETF (a basket of investments you can buy like a single stock), or commodity into a digital token that can be issued, traded, and tracked on a blockchain ledger.
Richardson also said Bitget uses its wallet product to test demand for new tokens before adding them to the main exchange. He said the wallet has 80 million users globally.
On regulation, Richardson said South African regulators are now engaging more actively with crypto platforms. The goal, he argued, is to balance user protection with market growth.
If tokenised versions of stocks and bonds become common, crypto platforms could start competing more directly with brokers and wealth apps. They could also become new “distribution” pipes for investment products, especially where mobile-first usage is strong.
For African markets, the bigger constraint is often not trading tech, it is reliable fiat on-ramps, meaning simple ways to move from local currency into crypto accounts.
That is why payment rails and partnerships matter. Business Day has also reported that VALR partnered with Onafriq to let more users fund VALR accounts via local mobile money and payment options across Africa.
The near-term test will be whether regulators allow more tokenised products, and whether institutions, meaning banks, asset managers, and large brokers, are willing to offer them at scale.
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