French digital library YouScribe, owned by telecom giant Orange, has launched its services in Ghana, marking its second foray into an English-speaking African market.
The platform, already popular in Francophone Africa, partnered with mobile payment specialist Digital Virgo and mobile network operator MTN Ghana to offer its extensive library to the West African nation.
YouScribe boasts over 1 million ebooks, audiobooks, newspapers, and educational materials – a significant resource for Ghana’s burgeoning digital landscape.
Ghana’s high smartphone penetration rate (nearly 100% as of Q3 2023) and thriving digital subscription market (projected to reach 6.1 million users by 2027) make it fertile ground for YouScribe’s expansion.
The company also aims to capitalize on Ghana’s growing digital publishing sector, which has witnessed a fivefold increase in sales since 2018.
YouScribe offers its entire catalog for a low daily fee.
In Ghana, the subscription starts at around $0.056 (GH₵ 0.75), a similar strategy used in South Africa where the service costs $0.19 per day.
This affordable model has been instrumental in YouScribe’s success, garnering over 1 million subscribers globally, with more than 95% residing in Africa.
“We are excited to connect cultures through our multilingual library featuring African authors,” said YouScribe Founder and CEO Juan Pirlot de Corbion.
The company plans to collaborate with Ghanaian publishers to enrich its collection with local content.
YouScribe’s arrival in Ghana signifies its commitment to promoting digital literacy and fostering a culture of reading across the continent.
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