Dial a short code. A text menu appears. Enter a PIN, pick "send," type an address, confirm. Seconds later, Bitcoin has moved across the Lightning Network, and the phone that did it has no internet connection and no touchscreen. That is Machankura. Even the name is local: South African slang for money.

The problem it solves

By 2024, Africa's internet penetration was 38 percent against 68 percent worldwide, according to the International Telecommunication Union. Feature phones remain widespread, and the digital payments people trust run on USSD menus. In Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, a digital payment is more likely to be mobile money than a card. Roughly a third of adults in sub‑Saharan Africa have a mobile money account.

Most Bitcoin wallets assume a smartphone and a data connection. Machankura starts from the opposite: if people already move money by dialing a code and pressing numbers, Bitcoin should work the same way.

How it works

A first‑time user dials a country‑specific code, such as 4838333# in Kenya or 9208333# in Ghana. The 8333 at the end is the port the Bitcoin network runs on. A registration menu asks for a five‑digit PIN, and the wallet is tied to the user's phone number.

From there, a text menu offers the core functions: send Bitcoin, receive it, check a balance, view history, and convert sats into goods through Bitrefill and Lightning Watts. Press the number next to each option, exactly like checking airtime.

USSD carries the instruction. Machankura, acting as custodian, executes the transaction on the Lightning Network. Because nobody wants to type a 200‑character Lightning invoice on a numeric keypad, Ngako built in Lightning Addresses, human‑readable handles that work like email addresses. Every account gets one in the form of your phone number followed by @8333.mobi, and you can swap the number for a custom username.

You can also load the wallet using prepaid Bitcoin vouchers from Azteco, redeemed with a code in the same menu.

A USSD session is limited to 160 characters per prompt and about 20 seconds per response, and nothing is stored on the phone once the session ends. For most markets the sessions run through Africa's Talking, an API provider that connects to mobile operators across the continent. In Côte d'Ivoire, Tanzania, and Uganda, local providers handle the integration because of regulatory constraints.

Smartphone users get the same wallet through a WhatsApp bot or through Machankura Web, so there is no app to install. People already use WhatsApp every day, and an app is the first thing to go when a phone runs out of storage. There is also a "Clan" feature, a shared wallet where members have to approve each spend, built for groups and cooperatives.

The code for each country is listed at 8333.mobi, and Plan B Network has a step‑by‑step guide for both basic phones and WhatsApp.

Who built it

Kgothatso Ngako is a South African software engineer and computer science researcher who previously worked at Amazon Web Services. He had set up a Raspberry Pi running a Bitcoin and Lightning node and was trying to work out what to build on top of it, at a time when African Bitcoiners were already talking about the need for a feature‑phone wallet. He founded Machankura in 2022. He was also a co‑organizer of Adopting Bitcoin Cape Town.

The trade‑offs

It is custodial. Machankura holds the Bitcoin and executes payments on the user's behalf, which CoinDesk describes as a custodial Lightning solution. Users are trusting the company, the same way mobile money users trust their operator. In 2024 Ngako announced a Java Card project to let feature phones hold their own private keys, but as of 2026 Machankura remains custodial. He has said user feedback pushed him against self‑custody, since people value being able to call and get a problem fixed. For now, treat it as spending money and keep savings in self‑custody.

It depends on telecom infrastructure. USSD sessions run on mobile networks and, in most markets, through aggregators, which leaves the service exposed to each country's regulatory stance and to the relationships it relies on. As Forbes noted, making Lightning over USSD reliable and censorship‑resistant means overcoming real challenges.

Frequently asked questions

What is Machankura?

A service for sending and receiving Bitcoin over USSD on a basic phone with no internet.

Who built it?

Kgothatso Ngako, a South African software engineer and former Amazon Web Services developer, in 2022.

Which countries does it work in?

Roughly nine: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Zambia, and Côte d'Ivoire by USSD code, plus South Africa through a website and Tanzania and Uganda by SMS.

Do I need a feature phone?

No. On a smartphone the same wallet runs through a WhatsApp bot or through Machankura Web.

How do I use it?

Dial your country's Machankura code, register with a five‑digit PIN, then use the text menu to send, receive, check your balance, or buy vouchers.

Is my Bitcoin in my own custody?

No. Machankura holds it. Treat it as spending money.

Why 8333?

That is the port the Bitcoin network runs on.