On a continent where financial instability and inequality often dominate the narrative, Sarah, the General Manager of African Bitcoiners; is leading a quiet revolution, with a deep passion for financial sovereignty and a vision to empower millions.
Sarah has dedicated herself to making bitcoin accessible and impactful across Africa. Her journey into bitcoin began with curiosity but quickly transformed into a mission to address the systemic challenges faced by Africans—ranging from inflation to limited banking infrastructure.
Sarah shares her personal story, the challenges and triumphs of fostering bitcoin adoption in Africa, and her ambitious vision for the future of African Bitcoiners.
First Steps into Bitcoin
- How did you first learn about bitcoin? What sparked your interest?
A mentor introduced me to bitcoin in 2022, sending me videos to watch and articles to read. She even gave me assignments, like setting up a Sparrow wallet, in exchange for some bitcoin.
What truly sparked my interest was when she zapped me sats over the Lightning Network, it made the potential of bitcoin feel real and exciting.
- Can you share your personal journey in learning about bitcoin? What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
The moment my mentor zapped me bitcoin over Lightning, I was hooked! From there, I started watching bitcoin videos on YouTube and took the Michael Saylor “Bitcoin for Everybody” course. I also found Stephen Livera’s podcast super helpful in understanding the bigger picture of Bitcoin.
Then I tried diving into books like Mastering Bitcoin and The Bitcoin Standard, but honestly, Mastering Bitcoin was overwhelming at first. I also struggled to find beginner-friendly materials, and that’s actually why we created our free Bitcoin for Beginners course—to make it easier for others to learn without getting lost in the technical stuff.
Reading technical books was a bit much for me initially, but I joined our African Bitcoin Book Club, and it’s been really helpful. We make reading fun and engaging, and whenever something doesn’t click, I just bring it up at the club, and someone always explains it in a way I can understand. It’s made the whole process feel a lot more enjoyable and less daunting! - What motivated you to become involved with bitcoin and the African Bitcoin community specifically?
Growing up, the biggest challenge I faced in achieving anything I wanted was money, the same was true for my friends and many people around me. Money is central to anyone reaching their full potential.
Unfortunately, Africa doesn’t have sound money, and as long as we don’t, we will always be seen as a third-world continent, struggling with inequalities and poverty. And our corrupt governments are making matters worse by printing trillions of fiat notes, inflating our money further.
I’ve always had a freedom fighter spirit and a deep desire to impact lives. This drive led me to African Bitcoiners, which was born out of these frustrations and the strong belief in bringing freedom to Africa through the only sound money that exists—bitcoin. It’s the tool we need to break free from financial instability and build a more equitable future for our continent. - In what ways do you believe Bitcoin has impacted your life personally or professionally?
Personally, bitcoin has completely transformed the way I view money and financial freedom. It’s given me a sense of empowerment, knowing that I can take control of my own finances without relying on traditional financial institutions.
Professionally, bitcoin has allowed me to have a career that drives real change, something I always desired when I was working as a process design engineer. Now, I can channel my creativity into expanding African bitcoiners alongside my incredible team and mentor, Afriqualia.
Bitcoin has connected me to a global community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about technology, freedom, and economic empowerment. It has pushed me to become more resourceful and innovative in my work, pushing me deeper into tech, economics, and how we can make bitcoin more accessible and impactful for Africans.
Working with African Bitcoiners has been a rewarding and life-changing experience, and I’m grateful to contribute to a movement that’s empowering millions across Africa.
Overcoming Challenges in Bitcoin
- What challenges have you faced in acquiring, storing, or spending bitcoin in Africa? (e.g., regulation, internet access, scams).
I haven’t really faced many challenges when it comes to acquiring bitcoin. Sparrow Wallet is a solid option for cold storage, even if you don’t have a hardware wallet, which makes it a lot easier to keep your bitcoin safe.
The bigger issue here in Africa is being able to spend bitcoin. There aren’t many places where you can use it, but there are some great initiatives like Tando in Kenya and Money Badger’s bitcoin payment integration at Pick n Pay in South Africa that are helping move things forward.
That said, we still need a lot more infrastructure in Africa, especially solutions that are privacy-focused for acquiring, storing, and spending bitcoin. As the space grows, these tools will be crucial to supporting more people and businesses. - What are some of the biggest challenges that African Bitcoiners has faced since its inception, and how have they been addressed?
One of the biggest challenges African Bitcoiners faced was when our free routing nodes were hacked. This incident resulted in the loss of almost all our runway, which we were using as liquidity for the nodes. The setback was significant and put us in a tough financial position, threatening to derail our progress.
However, we were fortunate to receive a Bitcoin Development Grant from HRF (Human Rights Foundation). Their backing allowed us to recover and restructure our operations, helping us get back on track.
Since then, we’ve become even more cautious with our security measures and have focused on ensuring that we can continue to build and serve the community without relying on risky infrastructure.
While the hack was a difficult moment, it taught us valuable lessons about resilience, security, and the importance of diversifying our revenue streams. We’re now stronger and more determined than ever to continue pushing bitcoin adoption across Africa.
Building on Bitcoin
- Can you describe the mission of African Bitcoiners and how it aims to support new users?
The mission of African Bitcoiners is to build a trusted, sustainable community that makes bitcoin more accessible to the people of Africa. We aim to empower individuals by providing them with the knowledge, tools, and resources they need to understand and use bitcoin in a safe, practical way.
We do this by onboarding new African users and guiding them safely on their bitcoin journey, from earning sats to mastering self-custody. We sustain our operations by building out bitcoin services that directly benefit our community.
Our key initiatives include offering a free “Bitcoin for Beginners” course, as well as our African Free Routing, Sats2Data services, and the African Bitcoin Ecosystem Infographic, which visually maps out the growing bitcoin ecosystem in Africa.
Additionally, we’ve created The Bitcoiner Test, which helps individuals assess their bitcoin knowledge and deepen their understanding. - Can you elaborate on services like African Free Routing, The Bitcoiner Test, and Sats2Data? How do these services add value to community members?
Africa Free Routing is a branch of African Bitcoiners focused on scaling Lightning adoption across Africa. We run Lightning Development Bootcamps to help non-bitcoin developers get started with bitcoin, increasing the number of skilled bitcoin developers in Africa.
We also support companies by helping them integrate bitcoin payment systems and guiding them through the process of getting started with bitcoin. While we used to run free Lightning payment routing nodes, we’re currently restructuring them to make the system more scalable and efficient.
Sats2Data was created to show our community that bitcoin isn’t just a store of value, but can also be used as a medium of exchange. By allowing people to pay for internet data using bitcoin, we’re demonstrating how it can be used for everyday transactions, which helps drive adoption.
The Bitcoiner Test is a tool that helps organizations check the bitcoin knowledge of potential hires. For us, it’s been super useful in the recruitment process because we want to make sure we’re bringing on people who truly care about bitcoin adoption and understand how it works.
It’s important for us to have a team that is aligned with our mission and passionate about what we’re doing. - What strategies does African Bitcoiners employ to onboard new users safely onto their Bitcoin journey?
At African Bitcoiners, our team is made up of Africans from diverse countries across the continent. This diversity allows us to truly understand and address the unique needs of the African market, ensuring that our solutions are relevant and impactful for everyone, no matter where they’re from.
We make it a priority to watch trends and monitor the platforms that are widely used across Africa. By staying in tune with these trends, we tailor our bitcoin education to meet users where they are, offering the information in formats that work best for them.
One of the main strategies we employ is making our “Bitcoin for Beginners” course easily accessible on platforms like Telegram and email, which many African users are already familiar with. This helps us reach people where they are and offer them a safe, simple introduction to bitcoin.
In addition to providing accessible content, we also conduct keyword research to understand the questions that Africans are asking about bitcoin. By identifying these questions, we can provide carefully curated resources on our website, offering clear answers and insights tailored to the needs of our community.
We ensure that all new users are guided step-by-step, helping them understand everything from earning sats to self-custody. This approach not only educates but also builds trust and confidence, empowering users to navigate the bitcoin space safely and with ease. - How effective do you think the “Bitcoin for Beginners” course has been in educating new users? Can you share any success stories?
The “Bitcoin for Beginners” course has been incredibly effective in educating new users, especially for those who are just starting their bitcoin journey.
By breaking down complex concepts into simple, easy-to-understand lessons, we’ve made it possible for even those with little to no prior knowledge of bitcoin to gain a solid understanding of how it works and how to use it safely.
During the Adopting Bitcoin Conference, we were thrilled to learn that some of the Bitcoin Ekasi students have taken our “Bitcoin for Beginners” course. Hearing this was incredibly validating and showed us that our efforts are truly reaching the community.
We’ve also received testimonials from many who have shared how fundamental our course has been in helping them grasp the basics of bitcoin. It’s amazing to see how it has become a stepping stone for many to start their journey in the bitcoin space.
What’s even more exciting is that our course is now being used to educate students from iPayBTC and Citrus Rate meetups. It serves as a continuity to their physical events, allowing participants to continue learning at their own pace and reinforcing the lessons shared during the meetups.
It’s fulfilling to see the course be embraced by various communities, creating a ripple effect of knowledge and adoption. - Are there specific tools or platforms that have significantly helped you in your work with African Bitcoiners?
Some of the key tools that have significantly helped us in our work with African Bitcoiners include BTCPay Server, Nostr, Sparrow Wallet, Voltage, Discord, ActiveCampaign, X (formerly Twitter), Figma, and Namecheap, just to name a few.
These tools support different aspects of our operations, from community engagement and marketing automation to security, decentralized communication, and bitcoin infrastructure. - What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment within the African Bitcoin community so far?
Our biggest accomplishment within the African Bitcoin community so far has been the launch of the “Bitcoin for Beginners” course, the creation of the African Bitcoin Ecosystem Infographic, and the work done through African Free Routing.
These initiatives have played a crucial role in helping people understand bitcoin, visualize the ecosystem, and facilitate Lightning adoption across the continent. While there’s always more to be done, we focus on improving each day.
The impact of these projects, especially in empowering the community and driving bitcoin adoption in Africa has been incredibly fulfilling. - What is the long-term vision for African Bitcoiners, particularly in terms of expanding its reach across Africa?
Our long-term vision for African Bitcoiners is pretty big, our Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) is to have a billion Africans, each holding at least one million sats. In other words, we want to see a billion African Bitcoiners.
We know this might sound ambitious, and we may not hit that exact number, but it’s what drives us every single day. This goal pushes us to keep expanding our reach across Africa, building education, community, and infrastructure that empowers people to use bitcoin in their everyday lives.
It’s about helping people take control of their finances and find freedom in a system that works for them.
Influences and Community Engagement
- Who have been the most influential figures or resources in your bitcoin journey, and why?
My mentor Afriqualia has been the most influential person in my bitcoin journey. The books that have had the biggest impact on me are The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous, Digital Gold by Nathaniel Popper, and “The Fight for Financial Sovereignty” by Alex Gladstein.
Each of these taught me something crucial about bitcoin, but Digital Gold resonated with me. It taught me that small beginnings can lead to tremendous impact in the future, and that lesson has stuck with me. It’s my favorite bitcoin book, I can’t gush about it enough!
Alex Gladstein’s book also opened my eyes to the way the IMF and World Bank exploit developing countries and how bitcoin offers a path to financial sovereignty. It’s truly an eye-opening read! - How do you engage with the broader Bitcoin community in Africa? What role do meetups or online forums play in your experience?
Bitcoin conferences have been incredibly inspiring for me, and I make it a point not to miss any! The African Bitcoin community is filled with some of the kindest, most driven people, and I’m always learning from the incredible bitcoin builders across the continent.
While I haven’t had the chance to attend many physical meetups aside from conferences (which have been amazing!), I do find online forums and meetups like the African Bitcoin Space on X, which takes place every 21st of the month, to be hugely insightful and fun.
Meetups and online forums are vital for staying connected with the pulse of the community, sharing knowledge, and building stronger networks within the African Bitcoin ecosystem. - How does African Bitcoiners gather feedback from its community members to improve its offerings?
At African Bitcoiners, we absolutely love feedback! It’s crucial for helping us improve and stay aligned with our community’s needs. That’s why we have feedback forms on every page of our website, including after quizzes in our “Bitcoin for Beginners” course.
We actively fish for feedback by encouraging everyone to share their thoughts, and we reward those who give us great insights through our 1000 Sats Feedback Bounty.
Whenever we get valuable feedback, we make sure to implement it as part of our ongoing efforts to improve our services and education. We believe that listening to our community is key to growing and ensuring that we’re delivering the best experience possible. - With a significant portion of Africa’s population being young, how can this demographic be effectively engaged in bitcoin education and adoption?
With Africa’s young population, the key to engaging them in bitcoin education and adoption is meeting them where they already are, online and on mobile. Making bitcoin education accessible through platforms like Telegram, TikTok, WhatsApp, X, and YouTube is crucial, especially with mobile-friendly content.
Young people respond well to interactive learning, so gamifying bitcoin education, like through quizzes or challenges can make the process more engaging. - How do economic conditions in various African countries affect bitcoin adoption and usage?
Economic conditions in various African countries significantly influence bitcoin adoption and usage. In countries facing high inflation or currency devaluation, bitcoin becomes an important store of value, offering a way for people to protect their wealth from the instability of local currencies.
In regions with limited banking infrastructure, bitcoin provides an alternative financial system that can be accessed with just a smartphone, making it especially valuable for the unbanked and underbanked populations.
While government restrictions on bitcoin might be common, these don’t necessarily discourage its use. Bitcoin’s censorship-resistant nature allows people to bypass traditional financial systems and continue using it despite regulatory challenges. Even in countries where it is restricted, individuals still find ways to use bitcoin for financial independence.
Moreover, bitcoin presents entrepreneurial opportunities and a cheaper, faster way to handle cross-border payments, especially in countries with high remittance flows.
In short, bitcoin is increasingly seen as a solution to financial instability, economic oppression, and restricted access to banking, which drives its adoption across Africa, regardless of government barriers.
What Next?
- How does African Bitcoiners hope to contribute to the future of financial freedom through Bitcoin in Africa?
At African Bitcoiners, we’re committed to improving what we’ve already built and constantly finding new ways to bring bitcoin-focused solutions to Africa’s challenges. We believe bitcoin can be a game-changer for financial freedom, and our goal is to help people across Africa use it as a tool for economic empowerment and self-sufficiency. - How can the Bitcoin community support African Bitcoiners’ mission?
The Bitcoin community can support African Bitcoiners by getting involved in any way possible, whether that’s through sharing knowledge, providing feedback, offering guidance, or even donating.
Sponsorships, grants, and partnerships of any kind are incredibly valuable to us, helping us scale and expand our impact.
Website: African Bitcoiners
Social Media: https://x.com/afribitcoiners
Contact: sarahwhite@bitcoiners.africa
