A Breakout Moment at Moonshot 2025

In October 2025, Lagos played host to Moonshot by TechCabal, a gathering of Africa’s boldest innovators in tech and creativity. Among the buzz of the event was the D4D Hub Creative Economy Award, a pitch competition spotlighting creative-tech startups. Out of over 200 applicants, Hafrikplay – a Nigerian-born music-tech startup – emerged as a standout finalist. It clinched a top-ten finish in the contest, earning recognition and visibility among the continent’s brightest rising ventures. For Hafrikplay, the moment was more than a win — it was a confirmation that the work of building infrastructure for Africa’s creatives is being seen, valued, and celebrated.

From the pre-accelerator to the main conference, Hafrikplay’s presence was a force. Its pitch struck a chord by addressing a pressing issue: Africa’s independent artists are hungry for fair monetization and infrastructure in an industry long dominated by foreign platforms. Hafrikplay isn’t just another streaming app; it is building Africa’s first end-to-end creative economy infrastructure, a platform for music, video, events, distribution, and commerce, all in one place. With over 40,000 African music artists and 100,000 active users, the momentum is undeniable.

What Sets Hafrikplay Apart

Hafrikplay’s vision is rooted in an ecosystem-first approach. Rather than isolating audio streaming as a standalone product, the company has built an integrated suite of platforms and services tailored to the needs of African creatives:

• Hafrikplay: The core platform, enabling ad-free streaming, direct artist uploads, and community-led discovery of new African sounds.


• Hafrik Distro: A distribution arm that helps artists get their music on 150+ digital stores and global platforms, while retaining fair royalties and access to real-time data.


• Hafrik TV: A video streaming extension focused on music videos, documentaries, web series, and independent African film, offering visibility to filmmakers and visual storytellers.


• Frikz: A wallet-powered social experience that allows fans to tip creators, buy digital experiences, and support events, all built into the ecosystem.

At the heart of Hafrikplay is a wallet-based monetization model that puts power in the hands of the creator. Artists earn instantly from streams, ticket sales, and content purchases. Payouts are direct. No middlemen. Transparent and sustainable.

But what truly sets Hafrikplay apart is not just the tech — it’s the culture.

By the Culture, For the Culture

Hafrikplay is proudly born of West Africa, where the hunger for digital content and cultural ownership is highest. Its headquarters in Nigeria, Africa’s cultural epicenter, gives it strategic and symbolic advantage. The startup doesn’t just serve the creative industry; it lives inside it. It understands the pulse of African youth, the nuance of genre, the local slang, the visual aesthetic.

Where many platforms view Africa as a market, Hafrikplay sees Africa as home. That means its editorial voice, artist curation, and product decisions are steeped in authenticity. From spotlighting genres like Highlife, Alte, and Bongo Flava, to empowering creators to host virtual concerts or launch ticketed premieres — Hafrikplay is building with the community, not just for it.

The Infrastructure Play

Africa’s creative economy has long suffered from fragmentation. Artists jump between platforms to stream, distribute, promote, monetize, and collaborate. Hafrikplay is solving that with a centralized creative infrastructure, where tools, talent, and technology converge. This infrastructure vision is not just ambitious — it’s necessary.

By integrating streaming, ticketing, video, digital wallets, and artist discovery in one platform, Hafrikplay is reducing friction and boosting value retention inside the continent. No more value leaks. No more fragmented journeys. Just one home for Africa’s next billion-dollar creative class.

Forward Momentum

With a growing user base and an expanding catalog, Hafrikplay is now raising a $1 million Pre - Series A to scale its platform, sign key licensing deals, expand into new regions, and fuel product innovation. The team has already secured partnerships with MTN Nigeria, Atlas Bank, and DataMellon, among others, and counts seasoned industry leaders like Olisa Adibua among its advisors.

From Lagos to Accra, Kigali to Cape Town, Hafrikplay is fast becoming the central nervous system for Africa’s creative economy. Its mission is not just to build a platform, it’s to build prosperity for the entire ecosystem: artists, videographers, event curators, fans, and future entrepreneurs.

At Moonshot 2025, Hafrikplay made its mark. The next chapter is already being written, and it’s one of scale, ownership, and cultural power.

Hafrikplay is not just a product. It’s a movement. And Africa is ready.