Chaka rebrands to Hisa as Rise’s group strategy continues to unfold

Chaka, the Nigerian stock investing app, has rebranded to “Hisa”.

Founded in 2019, Chaka Technologies Limited became the first digital sub-broker to be licensed by Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission in 2021. Hisa was its Kenyan equivalent that allowed users to invest in local and international stocks.

Since Rise acquired Chaka and Hisa in 2023 and 2024, respectively, it’s been quietly rebuilding to give Africans access to invest in African and international stocks.

Proof of that work is that three-year journey is that Nigerian, Kenyan and US equities can be traded on the same platform called “Hisa”, a Swahili word meaning shares.

“The name Hisa captures exactly what we’re trying to achieve. We wanted a name that feels familiar, accessible, and distinctly African,” Olabode Popoola, Hisa’s Head of partnerships and product operations, told Condia. “Investing shouldn’t feel like something imported or reserved for a select few. Hisa is about giving more Africans the opportunity to own a piece of the companies and assets they believe in, through a platform built with their needs in mind.”

The Hisa investment app replaces the Chaka app and introduces a redesigned investing experience that the company hopes will be simple and transparent. Existing users retain their portfolios and account histories, even as new users are onboarded.

Digital investment apps democratised investing for Africans

Over the last seven years, the entrance of digital investment platforms has democratised access to the stock market for an entire generation. For a long time, investing in stocks was exclusive, manual, and tedious, requiring a broker located at an office in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Digital investment apps, like Hisa (formerly, Chaka), still work with stockbrokers, but modernise the investment experience for a mobile-first and internet-savvy audience. For instance, according to Hisa’s website, access to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) is through a dealing member, Citi Investment Capital Limited, while in Kenya, it is through Faida Investment Bank.

Beyond modernising the experience, digital investment apps allow customers to enter the market at a more affordable price point through “fractional investing”. These platforms also aggregate multiple regional exchanges and give customers a one-stop shop for stock trading, in addition to other ancillary services.

Rise, a market leader in this space, has grown its Android app downloads to over 1 million, a rare feat for such a niche industry. The company would look to invest and scale the efforts of its subsidiaries through this consolidation.

The Hisa app is available on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Existing Chaka users can update their app to access the new Hisa experience, while new users can sign up directly to begin investing.

Last updated: June 25, 2026