We have been building towards this moment for a long time — and today, we are proud to announce that the eSomeni app is officially live on the Google Play Store.
Whether you are a reader who loves African stories, an author ready to share your work with the world, or someone who simply believes that African voices deserve a global stage — this app was built for you.
⬇️ Download eSomeni on Google Play
What is eSomeni?
eSomeni is Africa's leading digital book publishing platform — a place where African authors meet African readers, and where great stories find the audience they deserve.
Our name tells our story. The "e" stands for kielektroniki — the Swahili word for electronic, or online. "Someni" is a Swahili imperative meaning "let people read" — a call to action, a mission statement, and a cultural declaration all in one word. Together, eSomeni means "let people read online" — and that is exactly what we are here to do. To make African books accessible to every reader, on every device, anywhere in the world.
Since launching our web platform at esomeni.com, we have grown a community of authors publishing original works across fiction, non-fiction, business, faith, education, and more — with readers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, the diaspora, and beyond discovering titles they would never have found in a traditional bookshop.
What Can You Do on the eSomeni App?
📚 For Readers
- Browse and discover thousands of African books across every genre
- Read anywhere, anytime — even offline, once a book is downloaded
- Purchase securely via M-Pesa, PayPal, credit or debit card — whether you are in Nairobi or New York
- Track your reading progress with real-time page percentage and bookmarks
- Highlight passages and add personal notes as you read
- Build your library — all purchased books live in your account forever
- Get notified when books on your wishlist go on sale or when new titles from your favourite authors drop
- Earn achievements and streaks for consistent reading habits
- Write and read reviews to help fellow readers discover great books
✍️ For Authors
- Upload your book directly from your phone — EPUB, PDF, or DOCX
- Set your own price or offer your book free to grow your readership
- Earn royalties paid out via M-Pesa or PayPal — wherever you are in the world
- Track your sales and reader engagement in real time
- Promote your book with featured placement options
- Build your following — readers can follow your author profile and get notified of new releases
- Join the Affiliate Programme and earn commission by referring new readers to the platform
Why We Built a Mobile App
Our web platform at esomeni.com has been growing steadily — but we knew from day one that for eSomeni to truly reach every African reader, it had to be in their pocket.
Mobile is how Africa reads. Mobile is how Africa shops. Mobile is how Africa connects.
The eSomeni Android app brings the full power of our platform to your smartphone — a purpose-built reading experience designed for African users, African network conditions, and African payment systems. M-Pesa integration is front and centre for users in East Africa. For our readers and authors in the diaspora — whether in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, or anywhere else in the world — PayPal and card payments are fully supported. The app works even when your connection is unreliable.
This is not a web page wrapped in an app. This is a native experience built from the ground up for the way you actually use your phone.
What Makes eSomeni Different?
1. Built for Africa, by Africans — and available to the world.
Our catalogue is curated around African authors and African stories. Whether you are reading from Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, London, Houston, or Toronto, you will find titles that speak to your experience — and payment options that work for you.
2. Multiple payment methods — local and international.
Pay with M-Pesa for instant mobile payments within East Africa. Use PayPal or your credit or debit card if you are in the diaspora or prefer international payment. We made sure no reader is left out because of how they pay.
3. Authors keep more of what they earn.
We believe authors deserve fair compensation. Our royalty structure is designed to put more money in the hands of the people who create the content — and royalties can be received via M-Pesa or PayPal, making it easy for both local and diaspora authors to get paid.
4. Community is built in.
Follow authors. Earn reading streaks. Share books with friends via your personal referral link. eSomeni is not just a bookshop — it is a reading community that connects African writers and readers across borders.
5. Your library is yours forever.
Every book you purchase lives in your account permanently. No subscriptions to cancel. No titles disappearing. Your library, your books, always.
For the Diaspora — eSomeni is For You Too
Wherever life has taken you, your connection to African stories does not have to end. eSomeni is built for the global African community — readers and authors alike.
- Pay with PayPal or credit/debit card — no M-Pesa required
- Receive royalties via PayPal if you are an author based outside Africa
- Read in the app or on esomeni.com — your library syncs across all your devices
- Publish your book from anywhere in the world and reach readers back home and across the diaspora
African stories belong to the world. And the world can now access them on eSomeni.
The Affiliate Programme — Share and Earn
Did you know you can earn money just by sharing eSomeni with your friends?
When you join the eSomeni Affiliate Programme, every book link you share carries your unique referral code. When someone buys through your link, you earn a commission — automatically, directly to your M-Pesa or PayPal. It is that simple. Share what you love. Earn when people buy.
Join the Affiliate Programme →
What's Coming Next
The Android launch is just the beginning. Here is what we are working on:
- iOS App — coming soon for iPhone and iPad users
- Audio Books — listen to African stories on the go
- Author Webinars — live events connecting authors with readers
- School and Institution Accounts — bringing eSomeni to classrooms across Africa
- Expanded Payment Options — more local payment methods across Africa
Stay connected — follow us on social media and turn on notifications in the app to be the first to know when these features go live.
Download eSomeni Today
The eSomeni app is free to download. Your first book is waiting. Whether you are picking up where you left off on the web, or discovering eSomeni for the very first time — welcome. You are exactly who we built this for.
Available now for Android devices running Android 5.0 and above.
Have questions? Reach us at customercare@esomeni.com, visit our Help Centre, or contact us directly. We would love to hear from you.
Are you an author? Publish your book on eSomeni and reach thousands of readers across Africa and the diaspora.
To God be the glory! 🙏