The total number of bitcoin ATMs in the world hit 6,000 recently. As Africa continues to play an integral role in the adoption of cryptocurrencies, the continent is also seeing its fair share of development in the availability of bitcoin ATMs.
In this article, we provide a guide on where to find Bitcoin ATMs in Africa.
You can find 15 Bitcoin ATMs on the African continent. There are 7 Bitcoin ATMs in South Africa, 2 in Ghana, and 1 in Kenya, Nigeria, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Djibouti, and Uganda.
What Is A Bitcoin ATM?
A bitcoin atm is just like a traditional ATM. Instead of dispensing cash, they dispense bitcoin. So just like you can withdraw money from a usual ATM, you can also buy bitcoin from a bitcoin ATM.
Some Bitcoin ATMs also allow you to sell bitcoin and withdraw cash instantly. These types of cryptocurrency ATMs are very handy for quick and anonymous transactions.
Currently, North America is the continent with the most number of bitcoin ATMs, followed by Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and Africa.
Here are the places to find bitcoin ATMs in Africa:
Bitcoin ATMs in South Africa
South Africa leads the pack by a huge margin, as it currently has 7 bitcoin ATMs. The seven bitcoin ATMs in South Africa are spread across 5 cities. Cape Town is first with 3 ATMs, Pretoria is second with 2 ATMs, Johannesburg and Nelspruit have a single Bitcoin ATM each.
Most bitcoin ATMs in South Africa operate as bitcoin withdrawal channels only. You can convert your South African Rand to bitcoin via these ATMs. Average fees range from 8 percent to 14 percent which can be considered as very high.
Further, you can withdraw up to 5000 rands without any KYC verification. Anything above 5000 rands will require an ID verification that allows you to receive up to 100 million rands from the bitcoin ATM.
Anker is one of the leading providers of Bitcoin ATMs in South Africa. The locally-based cryptocurrency payments startup told BlockNewsAfrica that they intend to expand their ATM coverage to all 9 provinces of South Africa.
Bitcoin ATMs in Ghana
There are two bitcoin ATMs in Ghana. Both ATMs are located in the same location in Accra. Thunder Solutions, a local IT firm runs these ATMs.
There is very little information about these ATMs and we cannot guarantee if they are still online at the time of writing.
Ugandan Bitcoin ATM
Bitcoin ATMs are an option for buying bitcoin in Uganda. The only bitcoin ATM in Uganda is in the capital city, Kampala. You can locate the ATM at the Kampala Post Office, run by KIPYA Bit2Big, an indigenous Blockchain company.
Zimbabwean Bitcoin ATM
Zimbabwe-based cryptocurrency exchange, Golix, launched the first bitcoin ATM in Zimbabwe. The ATM is based in Harare, the capital city of Zimbabwe.
The ATM supports other cryptocurrencies aside from bitcoin. Litecoin and bitcoin cash are also supported by the only bitcoin ATM in Zimbabwe.
Bitcoin ATM in Botswana
There is a single bitcoin ATM in Botswana. The ATM is located at the Airport Junction Mall in Gaborone.
Its proximity to the Airpot makes it a good place for traveling bitcoin users to exchange their bitcoin for the Botswana pula.
Bitcoin ATM in Djibouti
The small East African country also has a Bitcoin ATM. The ATM is located at the Appart Hôtel Moulk.
The operators of the ATM have expressed their plans to add more ATMs in the country soon.
Kenyan Bitcoin ATM
BitClub Network runs the only Bitcoin ATM in Kenya. The ATM supports Bitcoin and Litecoin withdrawals of up to 500 Kenyan Shillings and is located in Nairobi.
The ATM allows you to only buy cryptocurrencies as it is a fiat to crypto machine.
Nigerian Bitcoin ATM
The latest addition to Bitcoin ATM’s in Africa is in Nigeria. Until the start of 2020, there were none in the largest cryptocurrency market in West Africa. The first and only ATM in Nigeria (at the time of writing) was installed by Blockstale and is based in Lagos.
The machine lets you purchase bitcoin with naira at Dazey Lounge and Bar, Ajah, Lagos State.
Per the status quo, there are 15 Bitcoin ATMs in Africa. With ongoing development and the springing up of several ambitious startups on the continent, it will be exciting to see what the future holds.
