Guide
A messenger for buying and selling in Africa
Most trade in Africa starts in a chat. Sika is a private messenger built so the chat can also close the sale: the price, the steps and the payment stay in one place.
A normal messenger first
Sika is a normal messenger first. You get one-to-one chats, groups of up to 256 people, voice notes, voice and video calls that ring even when the app is closed, photos and files, replies, reactions, and a status that lasts 24 hours. It works in 18 languages, including Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Swahili, Twi, Amharic, Zulu and Somali.
What is different
- Your keys stay on your phone. Private chats, files and calls are end-to-end encrypted. Sika's servers carry them but cannot read them.
- You choose how to sign up. You can use a phone number or an email, and find friends from your contacts, but the app also works with only a name and a key.
- A conversation can become a deal. A seller sends an order card with the price, delivery details and steps. Where payment protection is available, the buyer's money is held until the buyer confirms the goods arrived.
- Tools for small businesses. A business profile with greeting and away messages, quick replies, a shop page, and a chat box you can put on your own website.
Where Sika is today
Sika is in early access and is available for Android. There is no iPhone version yet, and Sika is not on the Play Store yet, so you download it from this website. Your contacts will need Sika too, so most people start with the people they trade with or talk to every day.
Alongside the apps you already use
You do not have to leave anything behind. Keep your other apps for everyone you know, and use Sika for the people you trade with and the chats you want kept private. Sika is for the conversations where trust matters more than reach.
Questions people ask
Can I use Sika alongside other messaging apps?
Yes. Many people keep their other apps for everyone, and use Sika for the people they trade with and the chats they want kept private.
Does Sika read my messages?
No. Private chats, files and calls are end-to-end encrypted. The keys live only on your phone and the other person's phone.
Is Sika free?
The messenger is free. Optional paid plans exist for business tools, and a small fee applies to protected orders.
Try it
Sika is in early access and runs on Android 7 and later. Download Sika, or read how we protect your chats on the Security page. More help is in the Help Centre.