While Google makes great efforts to boost the startup scene in Africa, there are still a few issues hindering the progress and stalling the development of many local activities, such as e-commerce.

Moroccan startups, tech entrepreneurs and developers find themself unable to monetize their Android apps or offer derived in-app purchases in Morocco, while they’re paying the same Play Store registration fee (developer account) as other users.

This is not a new issue, as it has always been the case since the launch of Google Merchant, which is the primary service for selling e-commerce products online, such as clothes, as well as digital items, such as Android apps or in-app purchases…

Source: https://play.google.com/console

Monetization is one of the fuels for Mobile Apps to enable them to survive, ensure continuity and grow. By limiting Google Merchant (payments profile) registration, many developers have been forced to find alternative business models, like Admob advertisements, which aren’t necessarily suitable for all business types.

By reading the complete permitted country list, I discovered that Morocco is the only left-in MENA country without access to Google Merchant while neighboring countries, such as Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt…, have full access.

Supported locations for developer & merchant registration in the MENA region

Source: https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9306917

Since 2015, I have been in touch with many Googlers in MENA (by email and in-person) to get the request to the right team, but to no avail.

My open letter today is intended to spread the message in order to unlock the situation; or at least have a proper justification from Google.

Let’s support this much needed change for Africa’s future. Please share the following message as widely as possible.

Thank you

People who signed this open letter:

Mehdi Sakout, Senior Android engineer

Ahmed El Azzabi, Senior Software engineer

Amine Karimi, Android Developer

Abdellilah Chouikane, Web Developer

Abdessamad Idelkaid, Android Developer

Iliyass Hamza, Software Engineer Team Lead

Mehdi Chenan, Front-end developer

Ahmed Micky, CEO at NEXINUN

Ayoub ALAOUI KADIRI, CEO of DevDream

Reda ALLAH KACIMI, Software engineer

Mohamed ALOUANE, Mobile Engineer

Ali BENHARI, Data scientist

Meriem Zaid, Front-end Developer

Ayoub kherbouch, Software engineer

Kawtar Choubari, Web & Mobile Engineer

Abdelghani ACHIBANE, Software Quality Assurance Engineer

Oualid Ezzoubeidi, Software Developer

Brahim OULHAJ, Software Development Engineer

Mohamed Aïmane Elkira, CTO SQLI

Mouad ZIANI, Software Engineer

Zouhir RAJDAOUI, Android Developer

Yassine KADDA, CTO at APPER

Bachiri Taoufiq Abderrahman, Senior Android engineer /Tech Lead Avito

Rachid Al Maach

Soufiane Rafik, Software Engineer

Youssef Lghoumaigui, Software engineer

Hicham Boushaba, Android Developer

Soufiane Saadouni, Software Developer

Hakim allaoui, Mobile Developer

Said Hadouki, Indie Developer

Nizar Jailane, Full-Stack Developer

Tarik El Hamdani, Software Engineer

Adnane ZIANE, Software Engineer

Hassan Azi, code monkey

Hatim Enezari, android developer

Anas AIT BAHA, Software Engineer

Niki Herl, Student at TU Wien and Web Dev

Mourad El Bakali, Software Engineer

Adil SAKOUT, Mobile developer

Hamza Makraz, Software Engineer

ELATTAR Saad, Cloud Solution Engineer

Yassine Nacer, Web & Game Developer

Otman Mohamed Karim, Software Developer

Abdellah Ettari, Front-end Developer

Achraf Ibn Mrabet, Data Engineer

Yassine Bennkhay, Flutter Developer

Oumaima Makhlouk, Android developer

Ibrahim Bahechar, Mobile Payment Development Manager

Radouane El Hajali, SEO expert

Aymane Taibi, Senior Software Engineer

Souhail Kaoussi, Frontend developer @HI5 Group

Kafil Nasdami, Software engineer

Amine Takha, Software developer

Ouafa ZERBAOUI, Software developer

Soufiane SABIRI, Founder of Easytutoriel

Saïd Dermoumi, Software Engineer

Farid Ouachrar, Frontend Technical Lead @Veylinx

Khalid Skiod, Fullstack developer @Scalify

Yassine Fathi, Full stack engineer

Abderrahim Oussi, Full-Stack Developer

Said Boutoudit, web developer

Brahim Cedrati, Game developer

Rahmo Mohamed, Marketing manager

NAFAI HADDI, Software Engineer

Abdessamad EL BAHRI, Full-Stack Developer

Mohamed Bermaki, Front-End developer

Mohamed Moughamir, Web Developer Auto Entrepreneur

Abdo akram, flutter developer

Ayoub El Failali, flutter developer

Nourelhouda Eljaafari, Data Engineer

Abdelalim Amine Slimani, Data Science, Machine Learning.

Mihfad Hamza, CEO of Voitureavendre

Khalid Rehioui, Software engineer

Abdellah FLIJJA, Web dev

Adam Boujida, CEO - MENA Region at Draper Startup House

Islam chahid, Expert Marketer

Mohammed Amine Maghous, Software engineer

Anas Mazouni, Software Engineer

Ismail Ghallou, Front-end developer

Ahmed Dahliz, Software engineer

Mohammed Amine Azarou, Software Engineer

Marouan Kaboul, front-end web developer

Zizoune Nizar, Full Stack developer

Anas IDRISSI

ELKAOUAR MOHAMMED AMINE, app and game developer

GHOUIBI Anas, Data Engineer

Nabil AIT BRAHIM, Senior Android freelancer

Jalal ZAHID, Android dev

JALAL ABDELILAH, Android developer

Yassine IBN EL HASSAN, Software Quality Engineer

MOUBARAK ACHRAF NOUR-EDDINE, Web / mobile developer - Auto entrepreneur

Khalid ELFAKER, Software engineer

Hamza BenMassoud - Mobile Game Developer

Ayoub Oubarka, Full-Stack Developer

OMAR AIT ALKADI,Game developer

Youssef Achir, Software Engineer

Hamza El M’houjab, Software Engineer

Your name, position

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