By Tomiwa Akinbamire
Telecommunications company MTN Group has begun repositioning its digital strategy, with plans to develop a global messaging platform similar to WhatsApp, signaling a major shift away from its existing super app, Ayoba.
On March 20, 2026, the company announced that Ayoba will no longer be available for download on app stores. Users have been given a 30-day window, starting from February 20, to reinstall the app before it is permanently delisted.
Ayoba was designed as an all-in-one digital platform, offering messaging, voice and video calls, music streaming, and other services. The app was heavily promoted through incentives, including free data access for users. By April 2024, Ayoba had recorded over 35 million monthly active users, with plans to scale to 100 million users across Africa.
Despite this growth, the platform struggled to maintain meaningful user engagement. Many of the incentives failed to create lasting value, and usage reportedly declined once these benefits were reduced. In addition, technical issues emerged in some markets, with reports indicating that re-registration became impossible for some users by 2025.
For millions of users across the continent who depended on Ayoba for free messaging, entertainment, and digital services, the shutdown marks the end of one of Africa’s most ambitious attempts to build a locally driven digital platform.
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