Bintou Signate and Mouhamadou Nazirou Diankha want to revolutionize second-hand goods in Senegal August 11, 2026
Tekkofi intends to shake up sales habits between individuals. With its voice announcements, the absence of commission and its integrated messaging, it wants to offer an alternative to scattered exchanges on social networks, while focusing on the circular economy and local uses.
Buying furniture, clothing or even an electronic device meets a need. But in some cases, they often end up in the closet or on the roof of a terrace. It is this observation that pushed Bintou Signate and Mouhamadou Nazirou Diankha to create “Tekkofi”. Launched on July 11, 2026, this platform which has more than a hundred users aims to give a second life to an object and helps you easily find what you need.
“An individual can sell an item to generate additional income or choose to give it away. A professional can present his activity, develop his visibility and reach new customers. All in a simple, secure environment designed for the habits of Senegalese users. With Mouhamadou Nazirou Diankha, we wanted to build a platform that meets all these needs,” explained Bintou Signate. According to him, Tekkofi is not just a classified ads platform. It’s a way of rethinking the way we consume, sell, share and create value from what we already have.
The choice of the name Tekkofi is a reflection of the identity that the two designers want to give to the platform. “In Wolof, it means “put it here”. This expression perfectly reflects the idea of the platform: a space where everyone can leave something, an object to sell or to give away, a product to present, a service to offer, or simply an opportunity to share. It is a place of exchange where what is deposited can find new value with another person,” explained Bintou.
The latter also specifies that the choice of the name is also a sound reference to “take coffee” in English.
“The café evokes a simple and friendly moment: a space where people meet, exchange and create links. This dimension represents our ambition to make Tekkofi more than a digital tool: a space for connection between people with international ambitions,” she noted.
Neither WhatsApp nor TikTok
Tekkofi is not Facebook, much less WhatsApp. This is what Bintou Signate emphasizes. “These tools have allowed many sellers, entrepreneurs and individuals to start presenting their products on the Internet. However, they mainly operate from an existing network,” adds Bintou.
On WhatsApp Business, she continues, to discover a seller’s products, you generally need to already know their number or already have them in your contacts. This naturally limits the visibility of sellers: a merchant can have good products, but remain invisible to people who do not yet know their business or already have them in their contacts.
“With Tekkofi, we wanted to reverse this logic. The platform allows users to discover products and services beyond their own network. A buyer can search for an item, compare several offers and find a seller without needing to know their telephone number beforehand,” explains the co-founder of Tekkofi.
Tekkofi also has a voice announcement feature. This makes the platform accessible to those who are uncomfortable with writing. “In addition to this, there is the 0% commission, which guarantees sellers to keep all of their earnings as well as internal messaging, which protects the privacy of users. It’s a platform designed by Senegalese people, for Senegalese realities,” she insists.
The latter also underlines that the platform was designed around second-hand realities. “Many people today have objects that they no longer use and which could be useful to others. The platform allows them to sell, but also to give a second life to these objects,” she explains.
Second hand, second life
“We accumulate objects, clothes, electronic devices or furniture that often end up forgotten in a closet or garage. Yet they still have value and could be useful to others. At the same time, many people are looking for more affordable alternatives to equip themselves, while others want to consume more responsibly by favoring second-hand goods,” notes Bintou.
According to him, it is precisely these observations that motivated the creation of Tekkofi. “Our ambition is not to replace the tools that the Senegalese already use, but to offer a complementary space, more structured and designed for their needs: search, compare, buy, sell, give and develop an activity,” Bintou said.
Beyond the economic aspect, she continues, the objective is for them to contribute to changing the way we consume by encouraging a logic of circular economy. “Today, with Tekkofi, we want to give a second life to objects by facilitating their circulation between people,” she advocates.
Bintou Signate explains that each item sold or donated on the platform represents an object that continues to be useful, and potentially an avoided new purchase. This helps limit waste, extend the lifespan of products and reduce the environmental impact linked to the production of new goods.
“This approach aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production, which encourages more sustainable use of resources and reduction of waste. It is also part of a broader reflection around SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities, by promoting more responsible consumption patterns within territories,” maintains Bintou.
The co-founder of Tekkofi also recalls that in the Senegalese context, where practices of reuse, sharing and transmission have already existed for a long time, their ambition is to use digital technology to strengthen these dynamics and give them a new scale.
“We do not claim to resolve environmental issues alone, but we want to contribute to a gradual change in habits: buy differently, sell what is no longer used, give rather than throw away, and consider each object as a resource that can still create value,” she aims.
“We don’t intend to stop there. Our ambition is to build a platform that supports the user throughout their journey: finding a product, interacting with a seller, finalizing a purchase and, ultimately, further facilitating the transaction,” announces Bintou Signate.
But the young woman emphasizes that their ambition goes beyond our borders. “In five years, we want Tekkofi to be a reference African platform for sales between individuals and professionals, recognized for its accessibility and its proximity to the real uses of populations. A technology that will have adapted to its users, and not the other way around,” she hopes.
Ambitions anchored between openness and roots.
Arame NDIAYE
