Airtime and mobile data can serve as gifts and incentives as well as everyday connectivity purchases. In a guide published on July 4, 2025, zendit identifies these uses as opportunities for providers serving customers in African markets and the diaspora.

The source describes family members buying top-ups for one another, broadcasters using airtime as a prize, and research organisations compensating survey participants. It also highlights employers rewarding staff, including businesses with remote workers in Africa.

zendit cites Omdia figures showing 19.4 million smartphones shipped to Africa in the first quarter of 2025, up 6% from a year earlier. It presents mobile adoption as context for demand, while noting that airtime also supports voice, text and services that do not require an internet connection.

For a reseller, the guide recommends connecting to the operators used by the intended recipients and offering recharge values suited to different budgets. It describes the provider's own API as supporting 36 African operators at the time of publication.

zendit says its platform supports digital delivery, configurable selling prices and reporting on transactions, sales and margins. The guide distinguishes summary reports from detailed transaction histories and account statements so that a reseller can monitor activity over a chosen period.

The commercial recommendation is to develop relationships with repeat corporate buyers as well as individual customers. Employee programmes, audience promotions and research incentives can generate top-up orders at different times of the year, alongside personal gifts sent by friends and relatives.