AfriDate: New Dating App Connects Africans in Diaspora Looking for Love

A new dating app on the market will allow singles of the African Diaspora to find potential suitors based on their nationality or ethnicity from any corner of the world. Called AfriDate, the application just might be a total game-changer when it comes to dating digitally in the twenty-first century.

While black singles see less successful matching rates on already well-known dating apps like Tinder, AfriDate seeks to put black culture at the center. For the blacks of every age demographic, this means greater use of their time and energy pursuing people more likely to be successful matches for users. The popularity of dating apps shows that while black singles are busy trying to land jobs, own businesses and live out their dreams,

For people of the Diaspora, dating someone within the same nationality or ethnicity is often an important factor. Issues that black singles face, like bringing home someone of the same nationality or moving to a new area and wanting someone who understands one’s ethnic background, will hopefully be alleviated through the app.

AfriDate strives to complement dating traditions native to diaspora communities to promote love beyond borders. Tailored specifically for persons of African descent, including black expats, immigrants, and travel enthusiasts, the app assists users in finding prospective matches of their ethnic preference, near and far, with ease.

AfriDate is the 5th app by Amanda Spann & Christopher Davis. The pair jointly run Happii, a startup studio that partners with aspiring founders to oversee the design, development, and management of new app businesses. Happii is most widely known for their debut app, Alchomy, a drink spotting app for cocktail enthusiasts.

Earlier this week UrbanGeekz caught up with co-lead of Happi Amanda Spann in an exclusive interview about AfriDate. A seasoned entrepreneur and publicist, Spann is passionate and dedicated to growing tech startups. According to her website, she’s is on a mission to help diverse founders build and accelerate their brands. Spann wears many hats, but it’s clear that she is driven by the need to support and increase people of color in the tech industry.

What is the AfriDate App?

AfriDate is a dating app that helps you search for eligible black singles, by nationality or ethnicity, anywhere in the world.

Who are the founders? 

AfriDate was created by startup studio HAPPII, led by Amanda Spann & Christopher Davis in partnership with a silent partner, who identifies as a Nigerian entrepreneur, attorney, and investor.

How did the idea come about for the app? 

After discussing the challenges and patterns in ethnic dating, the team sought to build a simple tool that solved a few big problems:

In many cultures, there is an overwhelming desire or family pressure to date someone of your own nationality. We sought to provide users with an outlet to find as many curated connections as possible within their preferences.

Descendants of the Diaspora are traveling more and more each day. Whether that be for work, school or even for leisure we wanted to equip people around the globe with a resource that could help them find a familiar face or connection with just a few clicks.

Why is it different than other dating apps?

We’re one of the first apps that prioritizes search preferences by nationality. We believe there are commonalities and experiences shared by natives of the same region, no matter where these singles now reside in the world. We want to give them the opportunity to meet, greet and date beyond borders.

What purpose does it serve?

We often hear the stats about black singles lack of desirability on other platforms, well now AfriDate is providing a platform in which we can show our affection and affinity for one another.

AfriDate is a conduit of black love that promotes empowerment, self-celebration and positive affirmations through localized cultural connections.

How does it work?

Simply sign up with Facebook to get started. Swipe left if they’re not your type, swipe right if the vibe is tight. If the feeling is mutual, you get to shoot your shot! Edit your profile to give your best impression and chat with your matches through our in-app messaging feature. Users may customize their profile with their own pics, bio, hometown, and country of origin, they may also search for daters by the nationalities of their choice, age, gender, and location.

Users may upgrade to explore prospects in remote regions of their choice with our passport feature, get a second chance at love with our premium rewind and increase their odds by lifting their limits of daily likes. 

What has the response been so far?

Overwhelmingly positive! We’re receiving messages daily from eligible bachelors and bachelorettes eager to meet potential partners both within and outside of their market. A great deal of our downloads thus far has come from the United States however many have come from as far as Nigeria, Kenya, China and Australia.

What is the next step for AfriDate?

We currently have a waitlist for the app. We’ll be opening the Washington, DC market first followed by Chicago. After that, we will strategically be opening new markets one by one based on demand and sheer volumes of downloads in the region.

Over the next year, we hope to introduce a suite of new features that will speak to dating customs and norms found throughout the Diaspora. 

What is the vision for AfriDate? 

To be the leading dating resource for eligible black singles around the world.