From humble beginnings to becoming one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital commerce platforms, Selar is proof that a side project can grow into a force capable of transforming an entire industry.
Founded in 2016 by Douglas Kendyson, Selar was built to empower creators across Africa to monetise their talents in ways that hadn’t been done before. At its core, Selar.co started with a bold mission: to simplify how African creators sell digital products.
By 2020, a small group of Nigerian entrepreneurs behind Selar recognised a persistent challenge: creators across the continent struggled to monetise offerings like ebooks, online courses, and event tickets due to clunky payment systems and technical limitations.
They envisioned a user-friendly platform where creators could start selling in minutes, with no need for a website or technical setup. From the outset, Selar supported multi-currency transactions (NGN, USD, GHS, KES, ZAR, GBP) and seamlessly integrated local and international payment gateways, enabling users to upload products and start selling immediately.
To meet creator needs, Selar built robust tools: automated checkout pages, affiliate marketing, abandoned cart recovery, sales analytics, coupon systems, custom domains, and legal pages, all accessible from a single dashboard.
One of Selar’s standout offerings became its course-hosting feature. Unlike many global learning platforms with restrictions and dollar-based pricing, Selar offered unlimited video uploads, drip content scheduling, certificates, student engagement tools, and seamless student management, tailored specifically for African users.
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“Selar supports eight currencies today, and because we work with multiple providers to make this possible, payouts to your bank account/wallet are made based on the currency of the sale. You get to sell in any currency and have the amount converted and credited in your country’s default currency,” the company said.
Selar’s business model was creator-friendly from the start, with no monthly fees, only small transaction charges. As creators grew their businesses, they could upgrade to Pro or Turbo plans, unlocking premium analytics and advanced affiliate features.
The Rise of Selar
What began as a modest tool has evolved into a powerful platform enabling financial independence for thousands of African creators. Today, Selar is a thriving ecosystem where creativity is translated into income.
The platform now supports a growing creator community, cross-border payments, and an expanding suite of tools. Over the years, Selar has become more than just a tech startup—it’s a springboard for African creators. From ebook authors and course creators to designers, musicians, and event organisers, the platform empowers diverse digital entrepreneurs with tools that reflect their needs.
Selar’s messaging often highlights real success stories: from side incomes and passive revenue to six-figure earners, evidence that creator-led commerce is flourishing across the continent.
Founder Douglas Kendyson, a Covenant University graduate at 19, was once a curious website developer. He later worked at Paystack and Flutterwave—two of Nigeria’s most influential fintechs—before taking on two roles in Dubai. He eventually returned to build Selar, which in 2024 alone, paid out N9.8 billion to over 241,000 creators selling digital products such as ebooks and courses.
Selar Today
As of 2025, Selar.co (formerly selar.com) stands as a full-fledged digital commerce ecosystem for creators selling everything from ebooks and courses to music, templates, memberships, and event tickets.
It now features a wide array of creator-centric tools: affiliate marketing, analytics dashboards, automated follow-ups, and custom pricing. It also integrates with PayPal and Stripe, offers payouts within 24 hours or via wallet, and supports eight major currencies.
Now competing with global platforms, Selar sets itself apart with a deep understanding of local challenges while scaling globally. It is more than a product; it is a creator-first platform built for African realities.
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How Selar Achieved Its Rags-to-Riches Story
Selar’s success lies in solving real, local problems with elegant, easy-to-use solutions. By making sign-up simple, removing technical hurdles, and enabling multi-currency payments, the platform addressed pain points ignored by mainstream tools.
Its steady feature expansion—driven by direct creator feedback—brought in affiliate systems, in-depth analytics, and advanced course-hosting capabilities.
Crucially, creator success stories became part of Selar’s marketing engine. Each ebook sale, course launch, and payout served as proof of possibility, drawing more users in. And with a sustainable transaction-based model (with optional premium tiers), Selar aligned its growth with the growth of its users.
Today, Selar supports creators in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa—and it’s just getting started. With a clear Pan-African ambition, the platform continues to redefine what’s possible for the continent’s creative economy.
