I recently had the opportunity to interview someone special. His name is George, and what George is doing is becoming a regular occurrence in beach towns around the world. What isn't so regular is that what George is doing has lead to revolutionary beginnings in other countries.

Link to full article and podcast: https://wanderingwpurpose.substack.com/p/revolutionary-beginnings-in-mozambique

I have been in Mozambique for about a month now. It has taken some time to get accustomed to the way of life here, but I'm more settled now. Now the logistics of withdrawing cash, finding transportation, and knowing where to shop have become an afterthought. I enjoy hitch-hiking, 20 Meticais "chiappa" rides, and playing with all the different forms of payments here (cash, MPesa, EMola, and Bitcoin).

We may be close neighbours to the relative luxuries of South Africa, but Mozambique feels quite isolated. The long stagnant economy and warm coastal lifestyle translates into a rather basic existence. Now that the irksome necessities have been ironed out, I get to focus on the pleasures of local life and new friends in the community.

Which community? Tofo. Tofo is a small village with plenty of seafood, great surf, and enough shops and entertainment to absorb anyone into cosy beach life. I traveled here by invitation from friends I worked alongside at Afrika Burn earlier this year. One of them is a Tofo local and was kind enough to offer their home during my stay.

Aside from enjoying local life, I'm always on the lookout for people using creative ways to make a living. It wasn't long before I noticed a "Bitcoin accepted here" sign posted to a shopkeeper's pole at the market. I could see his colourful clothing for sale but, after two days of looking, I still hadn't met the shop owner.

It wasn't until I was recently scrolling through Twitter (X) that I happened to pinpoint the owner. A friend at Bitcoin Ekasi posted that it was their friend's birthday in Tofo, and was encouraging everyone to send him sats. That friend happened to be the shopkeeper I was looking for. I walked over the next day and finally met George.

George and I quickly jumped into lively conversation. I asked him about Bitcoin and how he knew my friend. It turns out they've known each other for years, discussing Bitcoin as they went and how it can be used to improve their lives. George was already quite excited, but his face lit up completely when I wished him happy birthday.

Bitcoin Ekasi's birthday post for George ended up providing up to USD $300 in Bitcoin donations straight into his wallet. Understandably, he started expressing overflowing gratitude for all the Bitcoiners around the world who sent him some sats for his birthday. I was also impressed at how much funding came his way.

In case you're curious and unaware, Bitcoin Lightning addresses are structured the same as email addresses. For example, George's Lightning address is georgetofo@blink.sv. "Blink" is the name of the custodial wallet provider for George's particular Lightning wallet. I also have a Blink Lightning wallet: gpvansat@blink.sv. I also have other wallets for different purposes. Another one is: g@getalby.com. Anyone with a lightning wallet and some sats can send money to any one of these addresses.

What is Lightning? It's a network much like the Bitcoin main network, also known as the Bitcoin "Mainnet", except with some tradeoffs. Without sacrificing too much of the security provided by the mainnet, the Lightning network allows for instantaneous Bitcoin payments for a fraction of a cent. While the Bitcoin mainnet is ideal for long-term storage and security, Lightning is ideal as a payments network.

George had stories upon stories to share, so I invited him to join me for a podcast recording. Aside from wanting to hear more of his stories, I was thrilled to capture his story on audio and write about it so I can share it with you, and so I can look back on it in the future. I expect to see Bitcoin spread far beyond Tofo, and I like the thought of being able to look back at a special meeting during the early days.

I make this presumption because this is exactly the story line that played out in El Salvador. George is acting out the same plot that started in the beach town of El Zonte, now known as the beginning of what lead to Bitcoin being adopted as legal tender in El Salvador.

Essentially, Bitcoin eliminates state control over money. El Salvador is using (and succeeding) at using Bitcoin to pay off their USD-denominated debt, liberating themselves from chronic debt-based inflation and the whims of the IMF.

For a nation stuck in 50 years of stagnation at the hands corrupt authorities, Mozambique has a lot to gain by following in El Salvador's footsteps. Mozambique's currency, the Metacais, has dropped to a third of its value in 10 years, according to George. The banking system is also incompetent and in perpetual flux, making access to cash a constant headache amid electricity blackouts, service outages, and inconsistent VISA/Mastercard accessibility.

One thing I've noticed is that scarce cash means that merchants are constantly struggling to have enough change available to settle transactions with their customers. On a daily basis, I will pay a merchant and then wait while they run around the corner with my money so they can find a friend with the cash they need to settle our transaction. This theme of market friction is constant throughout the country, posing a real barrier to trade and prosperity.

Bitcoin is a technology that can unshackle Mozambique's people from the sludge of their country's disgraceful politics, unlocking the wealth stuck behind this country's broken financial infrastructure. Working with MPesa and EMola is not much different than working with Bitcoin Lightning. Therefore, Mozambique's people are more prepared to adopt a better future than they may think.

Thank you for being a part of Wandering w/ Purpose's first episode of the Afrika Ascending Podcast.

P.s. When George needs cash, he simply uses the Bitrefill app to buy Airtime on his phone using Bitcoin. He then sells the airtime to his friends to receive cash. I thought this was an excellent solution to a common problem. This is called a Bitcoin "off-ramp" (converting Bitcoin to cash). A Bitcoin "on-ramp" goes in the opposite direction. There are companies out there investing millions into building on/off ramps, whereas George has found an easy solution with existing resources.