Amidst several other blockchain Layer 2 networks, Polygon has experienced remarkable growth, widespread acceptance, registered active participation, and contributions from web3 adopters. Hence, it has a thriving presence within the Africa web3 ecosystem.

About Polygon

Polygon is a layer 2 scaling solution for the Ethereum Blockchain.

Their goal is simple: scale Ethereum and reduce gas fees.

Over time, we have watched Polygon create innovative solutions for the blockchain, one of which is the crucial zkEVM.

Certainly, Polygon’s strong presence in Africa cannot only be attributed to its contribution to the Blockchain, or its obvious popularity. Perhaps, they[Polygon] made quite an effort to establish such a strong affinity.

Polygon's Journey through Africa

It can be recalled that in September 2022, Polygon organized an 8-week Africa-focused boot camp/hackathon, which received 5,400+ applications from 43 African countries, and accepted 2,700 participants, as stated by the EX Developer Marketing Manager - Sir_Damilare

This was a good marketing strategy for Polygon to penetrate into the African market. Which created huge awareness among Africans. Many, through the Bootcamp, became Polygon advocates.

Not forgetting the #DEVXGlobalTour in June of this year, as Polygon journeyed its way to the doors of Kampala and Nigeria for a global tour.

However, organizing hackathons, events e.t.c are popular brand awareness strategies for most Blockchain networks.

So what did Polygon do differently? What strategy was utilized by Polygon to amass and sustain its large community?

In a web3 discord channel, I inquired, “Why do Africans build on Polygon?”

Suleman Ismaila replied “There are a lot of reasons developers prefer Polygon. Talk about its exceptional scalability, low transaction costs, robust ecosystem support, and an active, developer-friendly community. Of course, other networks have all these features as well but the massive effect it has had on Africa I guess that's what makes it stand out”

Sultan added, “When starting out a new technology, a large developer community is important, so you can always refer to the community and ask questions. Polygon has a huge community”

It is generally known that Polygon prioritizes community support. But despite their large community, one can easily get support, ask questions from their[polygon] internal team, and have access to a wide range of development tools. Perhaps this is why “everyone is building on Polygon”.

As proof of their commitment to supporting communities, Polygon created the Polygon Guide—a close community for members in the same region. In their words, “they're like your secret society of code wizards”, to host meetups, organize hackathons, share knowledge, and much more.

Given the seeming ‘relationship’ between Polygon and Africa, it is no wonder that the Nigerian web3 community quickly established the:

i. Polygon guild Enugu

ii. Polygon guild Lagos

iii. Polygon Guild Akure

iv. Polygon Guild Ibadan

Since its inception, these Guild communities have gone on to organize conferences, plan campus tours, and partner with other communities.

Polygon's thriving presence in Africa's Web3 ecosystem is proof that its innovative strategies and genuine commitment to community support have had a significant impact on Africa. Hence, making it a blockchain hub for most web3 enthusiasts.