Startbutton Africa’s Journey from Personal Challenge to Business Solution

In the early 2010s, Mallick Bolakale experienced firsthand the challenges of cross-border transactions when attempting to purchase electronics from eBay in Nigeria. The process required navigating complex workarounds involving VPNs, brokers with foreign bank cards, and shipping arrangements—a system that often left buyers vulnerable to financial setbacks.

Bolakale’s own experience losing ₦500,000 (approximately $3,000 at the time) due to a cancelled eBay transaction served as the catalyst for Startbutton Africa. The startup now offers a merchant of records (MOR) system that simplifies market entry for businesses expanding across African countries.

Addressing Cross-Border Expansion Pain Points

Startbutton co-founders Mallick Bolakale, Kelechi Oti, and Charles Idem recognized that businesses entering new African markets often face significant hurdles—rebuilding banking relationships, securing licenses, integrating payment systems, and navigating regulatory compliance.

The MOR system acts as a bridge for these companies, handling local payment collections and tax compliance while allowing them to operate seamlessly in multiple countries with a single integration.

From Manual Workarounds to Scalable Product

The startup’s initial traction came from Bolakale manually assisting businesses with their expansion needs. When the Central Bank of Nigeria restricted access to foreign exchange, he utilized Airbnb payouts (in dollars) to settle merchants while collecting payments locally in naira—essentially replicating the eBay broker model but directly.

A pivotal moment arrived when a founder publicly expressed frustration about not being able to accept international payments despite using fintech solutions. Bolakale’s response on Twitter led to Bible Buddy becoming Startbutton’s first customer, validating the product-market fit.