Cassava Smartech has launched an ambitious product which it says will create the biggest platform for African digital content.
The technology company has added the Sasai Watch feature to the Sasai all-in-one app, in a move that is set to bring artists, entrepreneurs and other African content creators much closer to their audience.
The product will enable Sasai to compete with international digital content platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Producers of user-generated content have an opportunity to earn an income.
Cassava says Sasai Watch will provide a platform for Africans and the global community to create and upload content directly to their audience via the Sasai app.
“We are excited to deliver a solution that we believe will address concerns that have been raised over similar platforms that have been viewed as less favourable to African content creators, in terms
of reach, compensation, and payment methods,” said Cassava Fintech International Group CEO Darlington Mandivenga during a virtual media launch of Sasai Watch, attended by over 80 participants, including journalists from across the continent.
“The Sasai super App aims to address this gap, by offering content creators a platform where they can easily monetise their content and collect payments conveniently. Furthermore, content providers will be able to upload their content directly on the platform for their viewers to access from anywhere,” Mandivenga said, adding that it was a much-needed solution for the continent’s talented creatives that need exposure and recognition for their work.
Mandivenga said the Covid-19 pandemic had highlighted the importance of offering streaming services to billions of people across the world.
“As internet penetration continues to increase across the African continent, we must offer our content creators a digital solution to seamlessly upload their content and for our users to conveniently access this content on-demand,” said Mandivenga.
Cassava says Sasai Watch is inspired by the lack of a dedicated digital platform for African content Providers. Through the app, users will be able to create, edit, and upload video content on the platform in a similar manner as YouTube. Sasai Watch has a deliberate focus on African content, hence its positioning as “The Home of Black Content”.
Sasai chief operating officer Tapera Mushoriwa, who made a presentation of Sasai Watch during the media launch, said the app’s latest features will provide an opportunity for Africa’s media industry to be transformed into a lucrative sector.
“Africa has largely been excluded in the digital market space particularly on the content-based platforms. While streaming platforms such as Netflix are slowly taking up African content on board, there remains a gap for an ordinary person to easily upload and share content with other users and, where applicable, to get paid for it. Sasai Watch has been developed to address these needs,” he said.
