Dakar – Senegalese fintech KaliSpot, founded in the United States, has deployed its first 1Net smart kiosks in Dakar, marking what it calls a decisive turning point in its mission to bring finance and essential services closer to citizens “everywhere, for everyone.”
The 1Net kiosks are designed as 24/7 neighbourhood access points, offering cash-in and cash-out services for customers of banks, fintechs, and mobile money providers within a shared and hybrid infrastructure. By ensuring full interoperability, they align with regional initiatives across the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), which includes eight countries.
Equipped with proprietary technology, the kiosks integrate shared infrastructure, conversational AI in local languages, and biometric verification to guarantee ease of use and inclusivity. The solution aims to address the bottlenecks and fragmentation of current cash-in/cash-out systems in both urban and rural areas, expanding financial access in what KaliSpot founder Mika Diol terms “financial deserts.”
The Dakar launch sets the stage for a nationwide rollout in 2025, followed by expansion into other West African markets. To support regional growth, KaliSpot has signed a strategic partnership with Solarix, a technology and energy solutions provider, to extend deployment into the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.
Solarix CEO Jacinthe Masamba said the partnership reflects a commitment to building sustainable and interoperable infrastructure that enhances financial inclusion while strengthening ties between Congo Basin markets and the wider African economy.
Within three years, KaliSpot aims to build West and Central Africa’s first hybrid, physical-and-intelligent proximity platform through partnerships with carefully selected regional players.
