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Challenges Of E-commerce In The African Market:What I Ordered VS What I Got Syndrome.

Chioma Okeke

Content writer,I am a tech enthusiates,ever learning and growing my knowledge.  Mar 16, 2023
Challenges Of E-commerce In The African Market:What I Ordered VS What I Got Syndrome.

           Africa's e-commerce businesses have continually faced these challenges,most especially new entrants into this various industries, as they gain more industry exposure. But not all are able to make it as these challenges have led many new businesses  to their end even before they are able to grow. So it's best to acknowledge and be prepared for them before you get started,also take measures to tackle these challenges so as to grow and gain grounds in the market.

                 Africa as one of the most underdeveloped continents in the world,has a lot of barriers that has caused e-commerce not to thrive as it should in the different countries in the continent.these challenges are still major barriers to the growth of e-commerce,these includes the following, substandard products, poor delivery infrastructures, cybercrimes,generating Traffics on your products,lack of trust of African brands,but are not limited to these challenges.

           If e-commerce is sustained and well developed in Nigeria,by tackling these challenges, it will promote direct retail of goods and services thereby creating more opportunity for retail business to flourish.This will greatly improve the lots and social well being of millions by bringing in professionals, business administrators and managers thereby  improving the social economic activities of Nigerians.


Challenges/Barriers Of E-commerce In The African Continent



1.What I Ordered VS What I Got Syndrome

           Inability to examine the products physically.

         In this case one has to depends on the description give by the manufacturer.and this has really been a major barrier in the African continent as it has been observed that most times the sellers description doesn't match the quality of the product or commodity,when it is eventually received,and this has really reduced the level at which people purchase goods online and it has largely discouraged electronic purchases in the African continent, because after one must have spent so much to get what they want they end up receiving substandard products not worth or equivalent to the money the spent.


2.. Logistics

         

           A great challenge limiting e-commerce in Nigeria is the method of delivery of goods. In some cases, some houses have no address as compare to houses in developed countries.

As a result it is difficult to use the poster service for delivery of goods. Some online stores  have to devise means of delivery of goods thereby increasing the cost price of goods.

         Also The challenge of bad roads in most African countries,thereby limits the easy access of person's in these areas to the products they must have ordered,this may therefore require them to go to distant places to get the ordered products,thereby limiting the comfort e-commerce offers and discouraging further online purchases.

       Also, the methods of delivery of goods still depend majorly on the efforts of the private sectors. The government has to compliment the effort of the private sectors on goods delivery in several ways which include; an effective and efficient courier system that will provide delivery of goods to homes and offices. Such courier service should be affordable to the masses and also ensure that goods are delivered at the time expected. There should be good address system for houses and offices.


3. Sourcing The Products

       

       The third most common challenge faced by new e-commerce businesses is sourcing the selected products.


Most e-commerce businesses have to make do with a limited budget when getting started. This makes it difficult for them to source the selected products due to the cost of warehousing.


That's why most e-commerce businesses resort to dropshipping as it allows them to fulfill their orders without having to keep the products they sell in stock.


But, even if you choose to go with dropshipping, finding reliable third-party suppliers can be extremely difficult.



4. Targeting A Relevant Audience/Building Customers Confidence On The Brand.


       when you've just started an e-commerce store, finding a relevant audience can be challenging, identifying and directing your product awareness to the targeted audience be a very challenging task.At this stage there is need to build your customers confidence on your products and brand so as to increase sales,this aspect requires lots of experience and exposure to the industry you are in.e.g Hair Industry,fashion industry,skincare industry e.t.c. A few years back, people readily made impulsive buying decisions and purchased things on a whim. And this made targeting easier for e-commerce businesses.



Back then, e-commerce stores invested heavily in paid marketing campaigns and leveraged social media for conversions. However, a lot has changed since then.


Now, most people research products online and seek reviews before making a purchase decision. They consider multiple options and choose one that best serves their needs. And that has made it a bit more difficult for new e-commerce stores to target a relevant audience.


E-commerce businesses that have been operating in the industry for quite some time now have gotten acquainted with pinpoint targeting tactics through trial and error. But new entrants generally grapple with targeting challenges due to limited knowledge and industry exposure.


5.Generating Traffics

           

           Generating traffic is a huge problem to most people doing online business. It’s one step building your website and another is generating traffic.

 Online marketing is evolving and you can’t rely on one source of traffic to your website like the popular social media.

  

        As an internet marketer you must be willing to leverage SEO Marketing, PPC, email, social, display ads, retargeting, mobile, shopping engines and affiliates to help drive qualified traffic to their online store.

     All your products must be visible where their audience is paying attention e.g  WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn,slack, Instagram e.t.c


6.: Cybercrimes



Cybercrime is one of the trending challenges of e-commerce in Nigeria and the sole reason online businesses are tagged as scams in Nigeria.These crimes cut across several areas online and can be done anytime, anywhere and anyway and the rate at which it’s increasing is alarming.

      An  Average Nigerian won’t prefer to pay for service online before they receive their value or product which is drastically affecting e-commerce as a whole in Nigeria.

 So as to build your customers trust in you brand,make use of payment on delivery services,so as to avoid this before it start affecting your business and reputation.


This is particularly for those selling physical products.for those selling digital products, make sure your website is SSL secured. SSL protects the exchange of payment details on your website.

       This means your customer details won’t be exposed to hackers when they are making use of their cards to make payments on your website.


           It's A Wrap

Over time, businesses learn to overcome these challenges as they gain more industry exposure. But not all are able to make it as these challenges have led many to their demise. So it's best to acknowledge and be prepared for these challenges.

    Several measures could be taken to tackle these challenges.e.g supply of standard products,good delivery infrastructures,finding and knowing your niche in the e-commerce sector,being trust worthy, knowing where to find your target audience, government helping to cub the challenge of cybercrimes and so on.

          

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