How to Buy Cryptocurrency in Zambia

Bitcoin is growing in popularity in Zambia. Buying cryptocurrency in Zambia is easy and straightforward. There are several trusted online cryptocurrency marketplaces in Zambia through which you can buy cryptos. With Azte.co, you can even buy cryptocurrency with mobile money in Zambia. This article will show you how to buy cryptocurrency in Zambia.

Quick facts about cryptocurrency

  • Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that can be used for buying goods and services. Many people around the world also prefer to use crypto investment as a long term investment.
  • There are many cryptocurrencies, bitcoin and shitcoins. The most popular crypto is bitcoin, which is the one we recommend. Bitcoin is the original and the leading digital currency. It was created in January 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto. The true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto is not known.
  • As of October 22, 2021, 1 bitcoin equals 1,079,537.56 Zambian Kwacha. While Kwacha can be divided into 100 ngwee, the smallest unit of bitcoin, called Satoshi, is one hundred millionth of a single bitcoin (0.00000001 BTC)
  • Is Bitcoin legal in Zambia? Is cryptocurrency legal in Zambia? Cryptocurrencies in Zambia are not regulated because the Bank of Zambia does not consider cryptocurrency legal tender. This means activities related to the buying, trading or usage of cryptocurrencies are done at owner’s risk.

Cryptocurrency scams are on the rise all over the world including Zambia. Don’t entertain social media messages or emails asking you to “join bitcoin” and get rich instantly. Beware of individuals or companies that promise huge returns on crypto investment. Learn more about cryptocurrency scams and how to avoid them.

https://youtu.be/gZ8NLIV22j0

 

What You Need Before You Buy Bitcoin in Zambia

Before you can buy crypto in Zambia, you need the following.

  • A cryptocurrency exchange in Zambia. A crypto exchange is a platform that allows its users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies. It is a cryptocurrency marketplace (or a cryptocurrency “shop”). A cryptocurrency exchange can be a local one or a global one with multi-currency support.
  • Payment method. Your payment method will depend on the cryptocurrency exchange’s supported payment method. It can be mobile money such as Airtel Money and MTN Money, debit card, credit card, bank transfer, money transfer services such as Western Union, Wise (formerly TransferWise), etc.
  • Crypto wallet. Cryptocurrencies are not physical currencies. Therefore, you need a secure cryptocurrency wallet to store your cryptos. Crypto wallets are of different types: mobile, web, desktop and hardware. Best crypto wallets in Zambia include mobile wallets such as Muun, Samourai or a hardware wallet such as Trezor and Ledger. All these are best bitcoin wallets for Zambia.

Your bitcoin wallet is protected by “private keys” (a form of password). You are advised to store your cryptocurrency in a wallet that you have the private keys for (non custodial wallet). Cryptocurrency exchanges, such as the ones listed below, may have their own wallet where you can store your bitcoin but you don’t have the full control. And as it is said in the crypto community, “Not your keys, not your coins.”

How to Buy Bitcoin in Zambia

Choose a Cryptocurrency Exchange

To buy cryptocurrencies in Zambia, you first need a cryptocurrency exchange. There are several reliable cryptocurrency exchanges in Zambia where you can buy crypto. Things to consider when choosing a crypto exchange in Zambia include transaction fees, delivery times, geographical availability, and payment methods. Once you select the exchange you want to use, you will be able to find out how to create a bitcoin account in Zambia from the exchange’s website.

Examples of crypto exchanges where you can create a bitcoin account in Zambia include the following.

Buy crypto in Zambia with mobile money. Azte.co is a platform that supports Airtel Money, MTN Money and Zamtel Kwacha if you want to buy bitcoin instantly in Zambia. What you need to do is go to Pay in Person option on the Azte.com website. You will select currency (Kwacha) and the amount you need to buy, and input your email. You will receive a barcode in your email. Your barcode will expire in 24 hours. Once you make a payment via mobile money, your voucher will be emailed to you immediately when the payment is received. Follow the instructions to redeem your Bitcoin instantly.

Yellow Card Zambia

Yellow Card is a fast and secure platform to buy cryptocurrency in Zambia. Its ease of use makes it ideal for non-tech savvy individuals and newbies in the crypto trade space. It is also the only crypto exchange with a physical presence in Zambia. The supported payment methods are bank transfers, cash, mobile money such as Airtel Money and MTN Money. One notable feature is the ability to withdraw/convert your Bitcoin in Kwacha via mobile money or bank account. However, this option can only be done manually by Yellow Card stuff. The company intends to automate instant mobile money withdraw option soon.

Yellow Card offers a custodial crypto wallet (your bitcoin is kept in their wallet), meaning the private keys to your wallet are held by them and therefore they have full control of your funds. We strongly advise you to send your Bitcoin to your non custodial crypto wallet (the one you hold the private keys) immediately after buying crypto on the exchange. Find out more about the difference between custodial and non custodial crypto wallets.

Apart from Bitcoin, Yellow Card offers other altcoins (cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin) including Ethereum and Tether. Read our full Yellow Card review.

SPENN is no longer supported on the Yellow Card platform. This was the best option for withdrawing your bitcoin into your Kwacha mobile money account.

 

LocalBitcoins Zambia: LocalBitcoins discontinued its service on February 9, 2023. For the next 12 months, existing LocalBitcoins customers will only be able to log in to withdraw their bitcoin.

Coinbase Zambia

Does Coinbase work in Zambia? Coinbase offers crypto services in over 100 countries including Zambia. You can buy crypto in Zambia using Coinbase website or Coinbase app. The exchange has got its crypto wallet. However, you are advised to store your bitcoin in your own personal wallet. The platform has a feature that allows you to make a recurring purchase by selecting how often you would like the purchase to repeat.

We do not advise you to use Coinbase because of many issues such as transparency, privacy, and security. In addition, Coinbase is known for pushing and listing high-risk shitcoins.

 

Send, Deposit, Exchange, and Buy Bitcoin with Telegram Online in Zambia

  • It is now possible to buy cryptocurrency in Zambia, receive, exchange and send to other wallets for free using the instant messaging app, Telegram. At the moment, you can only buy with a bank card.
  • To use the feature, you need to create a wallet. You can do this by sending the bot a message with the command /start. The bot will then send you a link to create a wallet. Once you have created a wallet, you can send and receive cryptocurrencies. You should also add it to the menu (for easy access).

Paxful Zambia: Paxful is an exchange that used to support Zambian users until it shut down in April 2023.

Pursa Zambia

Pursa is one of the best crypto exchanges in Zambia you can use to buy bitcoin instantly with Airtel Money, MTN Money, MasterCard or VISA. With Pursa affiliate program, you can earn up to 20% of Pursa’s fees when you refer people to Pursa.

 

Coinmama Zambia

Coinmama is another leading cryptocurrency exchange that allows you to buy and sell crypto instantly. Coinmama has high purchasing limits and you can use a credit/debit card (as long as it’s a Visa or MasterCard) or bank transfer to buy on this platform. However, the platform charges high fees when purchasing with a credit or debit card and it does not support mobile money.

Coinmama rate is displayed in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD and JPY, but the exchange accepts all currencies. If you pay with another currency different from the ones displayed, your bank may charge an exchange fee.

 

CEX.IO Zambia

CEX.IO is a user-friendly crypto exchange that is supported worldwide. It allows you to buy bitcoin with multiple payment options like bank transfer, debit or credit cards, and mobile wallets such as Skrill. The downside to this excellent platform is that its verification procedure requires private information and the verification process may take longer than other platforms.

Just like Yellow Card, CEX.IO allows you to convert your bitcoin into kwacha and withdraw the money through your bank account. This is a very important feature to consider when choosing a cryptocurrency exchange in Zambia.

 

Changelly Zambia

Changelly is an instant crypto exchange in Zambia. Changelly has a limited number of payment methods. You can only buy crypto from Zambia with a bank card (VISA or MasterCard) and Apple Pay. Moreoever, the exchange does not support Zambian kwacha, you can buy crypto with USD only. Fortunately, we have an article that shows you how to open a US dollar account in Zambia. Alternatively, you can open a US virtual bank account with Payoneer. The platform offers the best live rates on the market and low fees.

 

Is there any Bitcoin ATM in Zambia? No, as of July 2021, there are no Bitcoin ATMs in Zambia. However, there are 18 Bitcoin ATMs in Africa including neighboring countries such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

Kraken Zambia

Kraken is one of the best Bitcoin exchanges globally offering a wide selection of cryptocurrencies. Unfortunately, using Kraken is not as straightforward as other exchanges. Kraken doesn’t support payment with third party payment processors such as mobile money. The platform only supports VISA and MasterCard payment methods in Zambia.

However, to able to make card purchases, the following conditions must be met:

  • Your Kraken account must be verified to the Intermediate or Pro level.
  • You must hold a valid Visa or Mastercard in the same legal name as your Kraken account.
  • Your debit or credit card needs to support 3D Secure version 1 (3DSv1).

 

SpectroCoin Zambia

SpectroCoin is a cryptocurrency exchange that enables people to buy Bitcoin in Zambia. The exchange supports a number of payment methods such as debit and credit card (Visa, MasterCard, and Maestro), international bank transfer, voucher, Skrill, etc.

When you sign up for SpectroCoin account, you will have a multicurrency account with IBAN, which allows you to receive, save and make payments in USD, Euro, GBP and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. You can convert fiat currency to Bitcoin and vice versa. In addition, you can use your cryptocurrency to obtain a crypto backed loan or buy internet bundles from MTN, Airtel, Zamtel or Liquid Telecom.

 

How to Create a Bitcoin Account in Zambia

Upon finding your preferred cryptocurrency exchange in Zambia, you will need to register for an account with your exchange of choice. Here, you will go through the platform’s Know Your Customer (KYC) process for verification. The process varies depending on the cryptocurrency exchange you have choosen.

Deposit Your Fiat Currency and Buy Crypto

When your account has been verified after going through the KYC process, choose cryptocurrency seller in Zambia with the best price and who accepts the payment method of your choice. Make sure you choose a seller whose has been verified and has a trust score of 100% or thereabout. Once you are satisfied with the seller’s reputation, price and payment method, you are free to buy bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency.

Store Your Purchased Cryptocurrency in a Crypto Wallet

After buying your crypto, it will be sent to the address of your cryptocurrency wallet. Each wallet has its own digital address. It is not advisable to leave your crypto funds on an exchange. As such, you will need to find the best bitcoin and cryptocurrency wallets such as Samourai, Muun and Exodus to store your crypto funds.

What Can I Do With Cryptocurrency in Zambia?

The most common questions people ask are, “What do I do with my bitcoin after buying?,” “How do I withdraw bitcoin from Zambia?,” or “How do I cash out bitcoin in Zambia?” There are many options for this. Some of them are:

  • Hodl. You can keep your bitcoin. Bitcoin is considered a store of value. This means you can hold onto your bitcoin (a practice commonly known as Hodl in the cryptocurrency community) and sell when the price goes up.
  • Collateral for fiat money loans. You can obtain a crypto backed loan by using your bitcoin as collateral. There are bitcoin loan platforms such as CoinLoan that you give out loans while keeping your bitcoin as collateral. Alternatively, you can use peer to peer bitcoin lending platforms where you lend your bitcoin to borrowers and earn interest.
  • Crypto trading. Cryptocurrency trading is a growing investment field. Basically, you buy bitcoin when the price is low and sell for fiat money when the price goes up.
  • Bitcoin investing. You can also invest in bitcoin using Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) method, where you buy a fixed amount every week or month (Further reading: How to Use DCA to Build Investment Portfolio and Best DCA Bitcoin Exchanges).

Final Thoughts on How to Buy Cryptocurrency in Zambia

Now you know how to create a bitcoin account in Zambia, best bitcoin wallets in Zambia, how to buy bitcoin in Zambia, whether bitcoin is legal in Zambia, etc. Buying cryptocurrency in Zambia will be easy for you as there are several cryptocurrency exchanges in Zambia you can use to buy cryptos using mobile money, cash, local bank transfers, credit/debit card, and even foreign currency account in Zambia. We advise you to only buy bitcoin and not altcoins. However, beware of cryptocurrency scams online so you don’t lose your hard earned Kwacha.

FiFi Finance is a financial website. We want to help to improve financial literacy, by making finance work for everyone. We believe that Bitcoin will help you to secure your financial future. Our bitcoin experts wish to educate our readers about bitcoin, how to invest in it, how to use it and what to be careful about. Read more about us.

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