ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, has shut down LetsChat, an instant messaging platform, in Africa.
It was announced in a statement on its website on Saturday, March 23.
By February 26, the app had been removed from various app stores.
LetsChat was once expected to compete with major instant messaging platforms in Africa like WhatsApp and Telegram.
The company even enlisted popular Nigerian-based social media influencers like Adebowale Adedayo (Mr Macaroni), Chukwuebuka Amuzie (Brain Jotter), and Chinonso Egemba (Aproko Doctor), to help promote the app.
Before the decision to shut down LetsChat, ByteDance had invested three years into ensuring the app’s success in Africa, including hiring local staff in Nigeria in full-time and short-term positions.
A ByteDance spokesperson explained that the company’s decision to discontinue LetsChat’s operations was to enable it to focus resources on more promising ventures.
“This decision was made after careful consideration and evaluation of our strategic business objectives,” the spokesperson assured.
ByteDance launched LetsChat in March 2021 to provide young Africans with a data-efficient messaging platform. Features on the app included text messaging, free voice and video calls, and in-app games.
By the time of the shutdown, LetsChat had nearly seven million downloads, most of which were from Nigeria, Mali, Angola, and Côte d’Ivoire.
