About Selar
Selar gives creators the freedom to put a price tag on their ideas and put them up for sale. But ten years ago, it was rarely that easy across Africa. You might struggle to build a digital store that works globally, have issues collecting payments in your preferred currency, or be unable to withdraw the money when you need it the most. Selar was built to change that.
Founded in 2016, Selar is an online marketplace with a mission to make it easier for African creators and businesses to sell both digital and physical products or services, such as e-books, membership subscriptions, and event tickets to anyone, anywhere. With an all-in-one digital solution that supports secure payment collections in multiple currencies and diverse methods, the company empowers individuals with ideas to create and earn money while doing so.
The Challenge
As Selar was creating a digital growth platform for African creators and later businesses, Flutterwave was laying the groundwork to build the payment infrastructure that would connect Africa to the world and vice versa. Though not the same, the vision aligns, making Selar one of Flutterwave’s earliest merchants.
Selar understood that paying and getting paid conveniently and securely would be a critical driver of business success. The company needed a payments partner capable of supporting multiple payment methods and facilitating collections and payouts across different markets on a large scale, as Nigeria was just the starting point.
The Solution
- International Payouts & Collections
By using Flutterwave’s payments infrastructure for collections and payouts since day one, Selar empowers African creators to accept payments from a global audience, whether through cards, bank transfers, mobile money, or other payment methods. With Flutterwave’s support for multiple currencies and automated settlement, Selar empowers its merchants to enjoy the patronage of customers anywhere and get settled in time, ensuring the sellers and creators get the value of their sales without delays.
Flutterwave’s extensive presence beyond Africa, strict compliance with the highest regulatory standards, and built-in strong fraud protection systems further assure Selar that whenever there is a need to expand into new markets or offer additional currencies, the payment processes will be “plug-and-pay”. This allows Selar to focus on empowering African creators while we handle the complexity of international payments.
The Outcome
Selar integrated Flutterwave’s payment infrastructure in 2016, but the company’s transactions increased in 2019, ramping up in 2020, following years of dedicated work in marketing their solutions and proactive community building. This growth required scalable payment solutions, and our infrastructure proved its flexibility and reliability in supporting Selar’s evolving payment needs, demonstrating the capacity to support our merchants throughout their different growth journeys.
While the journey with Flutterwave started with only Naira in Nigeria, it has expanded to 12 currencies across over 12 countries, including African and global markets such as Ghana, Kenya, the UK, and the US.
Today, Selar has processed over 1.4 million unique transactions with Flutterwave, collecting millions of dollars for African creators, businesses, and settling them in their preferred currencies or methods. The company’s total transaction volume recorded a cumulative average growth rate slightly over 110% from 2019 to 2024. This highlights Selar’s ongoing commitment to ensuring African creators and businesses benefit from the global digital economy, expected to be worth $16.5 trillion by 2028, without any hindrance.
Speaking on the nearly a decade-long payment partnership with Flutterwave and how Selar is opening doors for African creators to turn digital skills and products into reliable income streams, Douglas Kendyson, Founder and CEO of Selar, said,
“Selar started with a simple goal: make sure African creators could earn money from doing what they know and love. From day one, we knew payment was a critical piece of that puzzle, which is why we prioritized having the right partners from the beginning. Working with Flutterwave gives us the reach, reliability, and flexibility to start in Nigeria and expand across multiple markets.”
Selar unlocked a global audience by using Flutterwave’s infrastructure to solve cross-border payments from day one. Your business can, too. Talk to us