Kenyan social commerce startup Chpter has struck a major partnership with payments giant Flutterwave to expand its services across 11 new African markets. The deal gives businesses in these countries access to Chpter’s WhatsApp and Instagram selling tools while enabling seamless payment processing through Flutterwave’s infrastructure.
The expansion covers Ghana, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Zambia. This brings Chpter’s total presence to 14 African countries, building on its existing operations in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.
Through the partnership, merchants in these new markets can now collect payments using mobile money, bank cards and bank transfers. Flutterwave handles the payment processing and settlement in the background, allowing customers to pay in local currencies or US dollars.
Rapid Growth Driven by AI and Social Commerce
Chpter provides businesses with tools to sell directly through chat apps like WhatsApp and Instagram. The platform lets merchants manage orders, accept payments, automate messages and run marketing campaigns from a single dashboard.
The company has seen explosive growth this year. “It took us 14 months to acquire our first 1,000 merchants. This year alone, we’ve acquired 1,500 more in under 4 months,” said Tesh Mbaabu, co-founder and president at Chpter.
AI plays a central role in Chpter’s operations. About 45% of customer interactions are now handled by artificial intelligence, according to Mbaabu. The company aims to push this figure above 80% as its AI capabilities mature and customer trust increases.
Chpter recently introduced AI sales and customer service agents and restructured its team around an AI-first approach. The startup also launched Pluto, a WhatsApp API suite that helps developers and businesses build complete customer journeys on WhatsApp.
Social Platforms Drive Most Traffic
CEO Mark Kiarie revealed that WhatsApp and Instagram now account for up to 60% of inbound traffic for businesses using Chpter. “We have been onboarding dozens of new businesses every week, and many of these businesses are coming from markets such as Senegal and Tanzania, despite us not having done any direct outreach there yet,” Kiarie said.
The partnership with Flutterwave addresses a critical need for these businesses to complete sales seamlessly. By integrating payment processing directly into social media conversations, Chpter removes friction from the buying process that often causes customers to abandon purchases.
Testing SaaS Model in Africa
The expansion also signals Chpter’s bet that Software-as-a-Service can work at scale in Africa if pricing and product design match local conditions. The company operates on a subscription model, charging between $50 and $550 per month depending on business size. It also generates revenue from paid messaging and AI-powered customer interactions on Meta’s platforms.
As an official Meta Business Partner, Chpter has access to advanced features including product catalogs for in-chat checkout, marketing campaign tools, and a unified dashboard for managing conversations across different platforms.
Backed by Regional Investors
Chpter raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding in September 2024, led by Pani, the investment firm co-founded by former Cellulant CEO Ken Njoroge. Other backers include Techstars, Norrsken, Renew Capital and several angel investors.
The startup has also participated in accelerator programs run by Norrsken and Safaricom, positioning it within Kenya’s growing tech ecosystem.
Mayokun Owolabi, VP of Global Expansion and Payment Partnerships for Africa at Flutterwave, said the partnership enables the company to continue empowering African merchants by giving them tools to connect and transact on platforms customers already trust.
“Together, we’re making buying and selling faster, safer, and more intuitive,” Owolabi said.
To celebrate the expansion, Chpter is offering a 15% discount for new merchants signing up across all 11 new countries through the end of June 2025.
