Ghanaian startup Loystar, a mobile app that helps merchants keep their customers coming back using loyalty programmes, has begun its expansion by moving into Lagos, Nigeria.
Launched by Ayo Dawodu, Paul Damalie and Laud Bruce-Tagoe, who met at the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST) in Accra, Loystar allows merchants to design and run loyalty programmes, with customers able to earn points by spending at merchant stores and redeem them for a deal or reward.
It is already being used by over 1,200 users, including restaurants, bars and cafes, as well as fashion and beauty stores, in Ghana, with the startup launching in Lagos last month.
“We’ve got a few merchants on trial at the moment. One expected to close. A few others in the pipeline,” Dawodu told Disrupt Africa.
“We also have some requests for e-commerce integration from merchants, including one from a major e-commerce player considering integration.”
Aside from the expansion, Loystar has also been adding features to its service, allowing merchants to receive weekly customer reports, and customers to get custom birthday messages and offers from merchants.
It has also launched Loystar Care, an in-app bot for support and enquiries.
Loystar allows loyalty programmes to be put together in less than five minutes, without the need to buy items associated with traditional loyalty systems such as cards and key rings. Customers can interface via SMS, meaning there is no need to own a smartphone.
The startup’s vision is to be a pan-African loyalty network, where consumers across African countries can be rewarded for their loyalty and merchants empowered to understand their customers’ needs. Loystar has been selected for both DEMO Africa and SpeedUPAfrica.
