MTN and Vodacom offer examples of how operators can build super apps around payments and social apps

A few operators worldwide launched ‘super apps’ in 2020 and 2021. A super app is an app that offers a single app interface for multiple lifestyle and everyday services such as entertainment, e-commerce and financial services, and is usually built around a core function such as a payment or a social/chat service.

Some operators view super apps as the next phase in the evolution of their app propositions. Other operators are considering expanding their existing apps to support new features but are unsure about how to proceed. In this article, we examine the strategies associated with African operators MTN’s and Vodacom’s newly launched super apps, Ayoba and VodaPay, respectively, and draw lessons for other operators worldwide that are considering building super apps.