{"id":6962,"date":"2025-08-20T08:05:42","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T11:05:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/?p=6962"},"modified":"2026-04-19T14:39:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T17:39:50","slug":"new-piku-app-revolutionises-tanzanias-gaming-scene-with-digital-auctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/new-piku-app-revolutionises-tanzanias-gaming-scene-with-digital-auctions","title":{"rendered":"New Piku app revolutionises Tanzania\u2019s gaming scene with digital auctions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Acclaimed by the Gaming Board, the app lets users win big through a lowest-bid model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Tanzania.- The latest entrant in Tanzania\u2019s digital economy, <strong>Piku<\/strong>, has won praise from the <strong>Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT)<\/strong> for its transparency and regulatory compliance as it reshapes the gaming scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The platform, launched on August 7, offers <strong>digital auctions<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Piku\u2019s Business Operations Manager, <strong>Sia Malewas<\/strong>, said: \u201cOur 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\u2019s capacity to build technology for Africans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The GBT has confirmed the platform\u2019s compliance with regulations and emphasised its wider significance. GBT Inspector <strong>Lucy Katamba<\/strong> said: \u201cInnovations like Piku show how technology is reshaping the gaming sector and expanding the role of digital platforms in the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beyond its commercial ambitions, Piku has committed<strong> 35 per cent<\/strong> of its revenue to <strong>social initiatives <\/strong>through the planned Piku Foundation, supporting hospitals and education for underprivileged students. The company\u2019s growth also reflects Tanzania\u2019s broader digital transformation, driven by major investments in technology infrastructure and the development of digital skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Available on Android, Piku allows users to start bidding with just <strong>Sh1,000 (\u20ac0.34)<\/strong> for 10 bids, scaling up to Sh100,000 (\u20ac34) for premium packages. Prizes are awarded weekly, monthly and quarterly, including electronics, travel packages and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Piku celebrates its first winner<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/PIKU.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6966\" srcset=\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/PIKU.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/PIKU-600x400.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/PIKU-300x200.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Winner Sabri Hamis (left) receives his prizes from a Piku representative<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The app has already crowned its first <strong>major winner,<\/strong> Zanzibar entrepreneur <strong>Sabri Hamis<\/strong>. Spending just Sh1,000 (\u20ac0.34), Hamis walked away with over Sh5m (\u20ac1,708) 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI only spent Sh1,000. It is hard to believe that such a small amount has changed my life,\u201d Hamis said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Piku plans to expand across <strong>East and West Africa<\/strong> within three years, offering sellers the chance to open stores and auction products on the platform. The company has invested nearly Sh800m (\u20ac273,200) to date, with an additional <strong>Sh120m (\u20ac40,980)<\/strong> earmarked for prizes and marketing in the coming months, potentially rising to Sh1b (\u20ac341,500) depending on market response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With GBT praise and a growing user base, Piku is not just a game changer, it is a glimpse into the future of <strong>Tanzania\u2019s digital economy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"see-also-container\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label\">See also:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"related-article\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"related-article__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2025\/08\/photo-1664063735091-2e650a70afbf-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"related-article__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"see-also-label-strong\">See also:<\/span> <a href='https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/tanzanias-gambling-sector-creates-30000-jobs-as-revenue-hits-record-high'>Tanzania\u2019s gambling sector creates 30,000 jobs as revenue hits record high<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Acclaimed by the Gaming Board, the app lets users win big through a lowest-bid model.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2809,"featured_media":6965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_press_release":false,"is_interview":false,"is_opinion":false,"focusai_summary":"Piku, a new digital auction platform in Tanzania utilizing a lowest-bid model, has received commendation from the Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT) for its transparency and regulatory compliance. The company, which has invested significantly and plans expansion across East and West Africa, is positioned as a key player in Tanzania's digital economy, committing 35% of its revenue to social initiatives.","focusai_entities":"Piku, Gaming Board of Tanzania (GBT), Piku Foundation, Sia Malewas, Lucy Katamba, Sabri Hamis, LG","focusai_location":"Tanzania, Zanzibar, East Africa, West Africa","focusai_target_profile":"ceo_executive (0.9), regulator (1.0), compliance_legal (0.9), operator_casino (0.85), affiliate_publisher (0.7), product_ux (0.8), tech_data (0.7), marketing_crm (0.8), payments_fraud_aml (0.7), investor_analyst (0.9), supplier_vendor (0.75), journalist_researcher (0.95)","focusai_suggestions":[{"label":"GBT Compliance Framework","query":"What specific aspects of Piku's operational model and technical infrastructure were scrutinized by the Gaming Board of Tanzania to merit such explicit commendation for regulatory compliance?"},{"label":"Regional Expansion Strategy","query":"Beyond the stated three-year timeline, what are the key market entry strategies, licensing considerations, and capital allocation plans for Piku's expansion into other East and West African jurisdictions?"}],"footnotes":""},"categories":[60016,60013],"tags":[60313,72,60090],"class_list":["post-6962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","category-east-africa","tag-digital-economy","tag-gaming","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2809"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6962"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7009,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6962\/revisions\/7009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/focusgn.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}