New Piku app revolutionises Tanzania’s gaming scene with digital auctions
Acclaimed by the Gaming Board, the app lets users win big through a lowest-bid model.
Tanzania.- The latest entrant in Tanzania’s digital economy, Piku, has won praise from the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT) for its transparency and regulatory compliance as it reshapes the gaming scene.
The platform, launched on August 7, offers digital auctions where users can win high-value prizes through a unique lowest-bid model that blends chance and engagement in a way that changes conventional competition.
Piku’s Business Operations Manager, Sia Malewas, said: “Our goal was to create something different, mentally engaging, exciting and accessible to everyday users. We want Piku to be recognised across East and West Africa within three years. That will not only bring foreign exchange to Tanzania but also showcase the country’s capacity to build technology for Africans.”
The GBT has confirmed the platform’s compliance with regulations and emphasised its wider significance. GBT Inspector Lucy Katamba said: “Innovations like Piku show how technology is reshaping the gaming sector and expanding the role of digital platforms in the economy.”
Beyond its commercial ambitions, Piku has committed 35 per cent of its revenue to social initiatives through the planned Piku Foundation, supporting hospitals and education for underprivileged students. The company’s growth also reflects Tanzania’s broader digital transformation, driven by major investments in technology infrastructure and the development of digital skills.
Available on Android, Piku allows users to start bidding with just Sh1,000 (€0.34) for 10 bids, scaling up to Sh100,000 (€34) for premium packages. Prizes are awarded weekly, monthly and quarterly, including electronics, travel packages and more.
Piku celebrates its first winner
The app has already crowned its first major winner, Zanzibar entrepreneur Sabri Hamis. Spending just Sh1,000 (€0.34), Hamis walked away with over Sh5m (€1,708) worth of electronics, including a 55-inch LG TV, an air conditioner, a sound system, a one-year subscription and a fully paid internet router.
“I only spent Sh1,000. It is hard to believe that such a small amount has changed my life,” Hamis said.
Piku plans to expand across East and West Africa within three years, offering sellers the chance to open stores and auction products on the platform. The company has invested nearly Sh800m (€273,200) to date, with an additional Sh120m (€40,980) earmarked for prizes and marketing in the coming months, potentially rising to Sh1b (€341,500) depending on market response.
With GBT praise and a growing user base, Piku is not just a game changer, it is a glimpse into the future of Tanzania’s digital economy.
