The Five Must-Have Apps for Diaspora Africans in 2020

These mobile apps and digital platforms are making it easier for Africans across the world to find jobs and scholarships, get new citizenship and send money overseas.

The Five Must-Have Apps for Diaspora Africans in 2020

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Mobile apps and digital platforms have fundamentally transformed nearly every aspect of our lives. Whether it's ordering food, keeping track of our work or life goals to sending money to our loved ones, these apps and digital platforms have made lives easier, efficient and more productive.

As the brand new year begins, we have compiled a list of five must-have apps and digital platforms that we believe will help Africans in the diaspora, especially in the U.S. make the most of the year.


​Job Opportunities

It is one thing migrating to the U.S. and another getting a job to sustain your livelihood in a new country. Upwardly Global helps work-authorized Africans in the diaspora, and Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs) restart their professional careers in the U.S. Their online Job Search Program helps users adapt their skills, education, and previous careers into the American workforce, whilst demonstrating the value of their experience to potential employers.

The majority of people who move away from their home country, look for jobs to support their family abroad assisting with key necessities like food, education, medical and housing costs.

If you are looking for a platform to assist with your job search, Upwardly Global will provide the support you need.

​Citizenship Education

Another goal for many Africans in the diaspora after settling in the U.S. is to start their journey towards securing their U.S. citizenship. The 'USCIS Citizenship Test Prep' App helps Africans in the diaspora who are studying for their naturalization civics exams to access mobile tutoring. The app provides flashcards on 100 different civic questions, covering topics like U.S. history and geography.

Available on Android and iOS, this app seeks to help new Africans in the diaspora to adequately prepare for their American citizenship test as they continue to pursue the American dream.

Finding Scholarships

This app is particularly relevant to Africans in the diaspora that want to pursue higher education and would need a scholarship to make this possible. Trying to find scholarship money for yourself or your child can be very tedious and time consuming. The Scholly app enables tuition-starved students to procure the funds to enroll in higher education. The Scholly app now has over two million users and has helped students to secure more than $100 million in scholarships. The app can be downloaded from both Android and iOS app platforms.

Language Translation

Tarjimly means "translate for me" and was founded in 2017 with the aim to connect a community of volunteer translators with African immigrants and refugees in real-time. The connections between the immigrants and volunteers are anonymous, and the only information shared is the translator's first name. Other information is up to the participants to share. When someone requests a translator for a particular language, Tarjimly's machine which uses a learning matching algorithm, selects the best volunteer available in a community of 8,000+ people. The translator is then connected in a live chat with the person in need, where they can send text, documents, and start a phone or video call.

The app can be downloaded from both Android and iOS stores.

Sending Money Home

Sending remittances back home is important to many Africans in the U.S. and around the world. Money that is sent back home is used for necessities such as food, clothing, housing, education as well as to start small businesses. We understand the sacrifice being made; leaving everything you know and love to provide a better life for your loved ones. To help make this journey a little easier, the WorldRemit service offers lower fees and faster transfer times so more money makes it to loved ones when they need it most.

Available online or via the WorldRemit mobile app, you can make a transfer to family or friends in a matter of minutes. We are connected to more mobile money services around the world than any other money transfer operator and with mobile money, people can instantly receive remittance payments on their phones instead of travelling long distances to foreign exchange bureaus to collect cash.

Around 70% of our transfers are sent from the mobile app, and 90% of our transfers arrive in less than 10 minutes.

Looking to transfer money online to your loved ones in Africa? We are offering zero fees on your first three money transfers when you use the code "3FREE". All you need to do is download our app or sign up on our website, choose where you want to transfer money and how much you want to send. It is super simple to sign up and you can start sending money in minutes. See www.worldremit.com/3FREE for more details (T&Cs apply).

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