KenyanCupid

KenyanCupid Review: The Basics You Should Know

KenyanCupid is one of the many niche dating websites owned by Cupid Media Network. As you already see from the platform’s name, the site caters to Kenyan demographics mostly, even though anyone from all over the globe can join. Still, KenyanCupid is the primary spot for Western gentlemen interested in meeting girls from Kenya and getting romantically involved with them. The focus here is on the ‘involved’ — this platform is not a causal hookup spot, but rather a place to build lasting online relationships that eventually transfer onsite and potentially lead to marriage. 

So, if you are interested in meeting an ebony beauty and potentially proposing to her, this might be a nice place to start. But then again — like most other dating services it does have its pros and limitations, so let’s first find out which features it offers, what one can expect from using the service, how much it costs, and — most importantly — whether you should choose KenyanCupid over other Cupid Media products (or even dating sites outside this network).

Who are KenyanCupid members?

Most KenyanCupid users are men from the West, mostly the US, and Kenyan ladies hoping to find a husband abroad. From what we’ve noticed, most of these girls have regular careers and good education; they are also religious and by no means want to be taken for granted. It’s quite easy to get a personal date on KenyanCupid — if you are planning a trip to the country, of course. Most ladies are willing to chat, want to engage in meaningful conversations and are eager to meet onsite when you hit the town. 

We’ve sent out ten test messages to different users, and eight of these women wrote back to us. So, even though KenyanCupid somewhat lacks in numbers and popularity (60-70 women online on average), there is always a chance to find someone to chat with. 

Signing up with the service 

Registering with the website is free of charge, and you can make use of two options: Facebook login or manual sign-up. Logging in with your Facebook account is quicker because you do not have to fill in the essentials, like your gender, age, and location. KenyanCupid does not have the permission to post content on your behalf. 

Regular, manual sign-up takes about a minute longer. You need to include your email (verification required), age, gender, location and upload a photo from your device. Once your profile is activated, you can fill in other fields with your personality description, interests, hobbies, and so on. This part is, of course, optional, but it’s still recommended to have a properly filled out account because women take more interest in profiles with detailed descriptions. 

Profile quality on KenyanCupid

Another reason to put some effort into filling in your profile is the simple fact that most women on KenyanCupid do, and they expect the same courtesy in return. Of course, you can always find profiles without pictures or lengthy descriptions, but most of them are very detailed and seem authentic. 

Still, it is not obligatory to verify one’s identity on KenyanCupid, so there is always a chance of coming across a fraudulent account. On the bright side, site management takes user security very seriously, so all suspicious profiles can be easily reported (or blocked if you do not want this person to contact you again). 

One more feature worth mentioning is video introductions on KenyanCupid. Platinum members can record short videos and feature those in their accounts. Anyone, regardless of membership status, can see these videos. The same goes for photos — free members can browse the entire site database to see if someone special catches their eye. 

If you do not want for everyone to sneak around your photos, you can make them private. Or, some pics may go into your public photo gallery and some others — into a private one. In that case, other users will have to request your access to view them. Feel free to accept or reject such requests at your convenience.

Search and match-making functions 

Profiles on KenyanCupid may be impressive, but what search options do you have to actually find these profiles? In terms of search algorithms, KenyanCupid does a great job; and the best part is — all search functions are available for free, so even standard, non-paying users will have a chance to make full use of them. 

You can search for other members by the same basic info you included during the registration phase, in particular — age, gender, location, etc. Additional search parameters include appearance, lifestyle, habits, employment, education, relationship preference, etc. Besides, you can filter profiles by their online status, join date, and last activity online. 

Finally, being a part of Cupid Media Network, this platform offers its members to make use of Cupid tags. The latter ones are keywords and phrases that act like labels; you put those on your profile, and other people can find you by these words. You just have to type the right tag in the search engine. 

Contacting other users on KenyanCupid

If however, you find at least one person you’d want to reach out to on KenyanCupid, you will also notice its first drawback: messaging is for paying members only. Even though free users can take all the time they want to look around, see any photos other members have marked as public and read through their profile descriptions, it’s still impossible to send a message to someone they like — not without a paid membership. 

The only possible way to show interest in another person is to send this person a wink. If you hit a premium account, you may get a message in response. But once again — reading this message will require a premium membership; so, if you plan to communicate, not just watch — you’ll have to pay. 

Apart from emails and instant messages, KenyanCupid subscribers can use a chatroom and make live calls — without or without video. But, once again — these options are available to paying users only. 

Website functionality and design 

KenyanCupid follows a more or less the same design as most other websites under Cupid Media’s care. It’s clean, neat, and easy to navigate. Header menu has carefully organized tabs with all the essential functions, including search, messaging and other important notifications. The website has few distractions, even though free users will see an ad now and then. All in all, KenyanCupid pleases the eye and is incredibly user-friendly — even for people with very basic computer skills. 

Currently, KenyanCupid has no app version — even though its mobile-optimized site runs on smartphone browsers as well. Given that this site is not as popular as many other Cupid products, we assume they will leave it this way and will not spend extra money on developing an app few people would bother to download. 

Paid features and their cost 

Since we’ve already established a free profile will not do you any good, the next question on our list is how much you’re expected to pay. KenyanCupid offers two types of membership plans — Gold and Platinum. On the whole, they are very similar in terms of communication options, even though Platinum, a slightly more expensive, plan offers a couple of useful perks some members will definitely appreciate. 

A cheaper, Gold membership plan includes the following features:

• Reading and sending messages from all users 
• Starting live and video chats 
• Blocking all ads
• Hiding your online status
• Anonymous browsing

A more expensive, Platinum membership presupposes all the perks of the Gold plan, plus:


• Ranking above all other members in the search results 
• Doubling your profile space to include more details about yourself
• VIP badge for your profile 
• Additional search parameters 
• Advanced match-making algorithms
• Automatic translation of all messages 

All in all, we’d have to say that the only truly useful feature of Platinum membership on KenyanCupid is message translation. As for the rest, all features essential for communication are covered by the Gold membership plan. Higher platinum rankings may prove handy, but on the whole, the only reason to consider this type of membership is the transition feature — English is more or less widespread in Kenya, but the specifics may be confusing for a native speaker. 

The good news is that the money difference between two subscription types is minimal, especially if you subscribe for the long term. As it always the case, shorter subscriptions are more expensive, but if you are paying a year in advance, the price for each month of using the service drops significantly. Subscriptions are available for one, three, six months, and a year and come at the following cost:

Gold Membership 

• 1 month: $29.98
• 3 months: $20/month, $60 total
• 6 months: $16.66/month, $99.96 total

• 12 months: $10/month, $120 total

Platinum Membership 

• 1 month: $34.98
• 3 months: $23.33/month, $69.99 total
• 6 months: $20/month, $120 total

• 12 months: $12.50/month, $150 total

On the whole, this is a pretty moderate pricing policy that falls within Cupid Media’s average fees. There are cheaper dating sites, of course, but we cannot call KenyanCupid expensive. One can pay with any credit or debit card, as well as a PayPal account. Should you choose to terminate your subscription or upgrade to a cheaper plan, make sure to do so 48 hours before the current subscription expires — like all other Cupid niche websites, KenyanCupid will automatically bill you the same amount when the current plan expires. 

Summary: is KenyanCupid worth it?

On the one hand, KenyanCupid is a great platform for anyone planning to visit Kenya specifically and actually go on a couple of dates there. Girls are real and curious to meet someone outside their culture. On the other one, if you are looking for an international dating platform, there are plenty of sites that can offer more features and larger user databases — both within and outside the Cupid network. 

Speaking of sites outside of Cupid network, plenty of those offer more communication means for free. Of course, this somewhat compromises on profile quality and authenticity — two things all Cupid websites have covered. 

Bottom line, KenyanCupid is not a bad choice for anyone who has set one’s eyes and one’s heart on Kenya specifically. It may not offer a lot of interactive features and may not provide any free communication means. At the same time, the fees are moderate, the site is nice to use, and what its user database may lack numbers, it makes up for in profile authenticity and high response/engagement rate on the platform.

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