The global success of Pokémon Go phenomenon is a game-changer for startups and tech entrepreneurs in Africa who can learn from its utilization of modern technology and commercial strategy for commercial success.

Pokémon Go is a location-based reality game that is free-to-play and is accessed on iOS and Android mobile platforms.

McDonalds, a global fast food restaurant partnered with Pokémon Go in Japan in efforts to lure more customers to over 3,000 food chains by making them gaming locations for the mobile gaming application, in July this year.

The Asian nation is the third biggest market for mobile phones, while Africa has one of the richest yet unexploited mobile market potential making Pokémon Go a viable option for business organizations to use.

“By permitting selective partners to become ‘sponsored locations’ in the game, the sponsor has the ability to use the game to lure real-world traffic to their business locations,” Disrupt Africa quoted Scott Zambonini, enterprise development manager at the Nelson Mandela Bay ICT Incubator (SNII).

It is one of the most used mobile applications in the US since its launch with 33 minutes daily use beating both Facebook (22) and Twitter (17), CNET reported.

Pokémon Go had 26 million players and recorded $ 35 million in million within the first two weeks of its launch in the US, Forbes Reported.

Entrepreneurs in Africa’s early growth Tech scene can capitalize on the gaming application’s popularity to sell their products and services by luring their customers to augmented reality universe like McDonalds.

“The McDonalds partnership in Japan highlights one of the many alternative revenue streams the infancy-stage application is pursuing,” Zambonini added.

Startups across the continent can withstand market falls by joining hands in similar business ventures.

Pokémon Go became a gaming revelation in July this year after its founder Nintendo faced a financial hit and turned to Niantic Inc., an American startup to turn round its fortunes, The New York Times reported.

Tech entrepreneurs can also rely on nostalgia and existing audiences to grow their businesses, by re-inventing old endeavors with emphasis on the old loyal audiences from past successful ventures.

Zambonini added that they offer a captive market that can be rediscovered through new products and services.