Currently in Africa there are so many e-commerce platforms or site's one can use in purchasing different types of products and services.
There is need for those who want to make online purchases to know the most popular and best platforms to explore.So i will list out these platforms and the necessary knowledge or things to know about them.
Major E-commerce Platforms in Africa
1.Jumia
Launched in 2012 in Nigeria, the site has solidified a footprint in over 23 African countries, with a network of over half a million sellers since its inception. Jumia has managed to create a stellar reputation for being a hub for products and services spanning across the retail, food and hospitality, talent recruitment, concierge and the hotel and catering industries. Apart from servicing the needs of consumers and businesses, Jumia has also been upskilling and aiding employment for many Africans who are qualified in areas such as Engineering, IT and online marketing and web development.
Jumia operates in over 10 African countries including Egypt, Tunisia, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and more. It is one of the largest ecommerce companies in Africa. Products sold here such as décor items, groceries, clothes, electronics, books, health and beauty products must be new, legal, and of good quality.
Jumia: Headquartered is in Nigeria, Jumia's average monthly website traffic is 32 million.
2.Konga E-commerce
Konga is one of the best ecommerce site in Nigeria dealing in a wide range of products such as home décor, electronics, fashion and beauty products. As a seller on Konga, you decide your pricing, preferred shipping method, and the payment mode.
Konga has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 2012 as a Lagos-only e-commerce site that specialised in baby and beauty care. The online platform has morphed into a major online retailer, often dubbed “The Amazon of Africa.” In 2015, Konga joined forces with leading Nigerian banks to launch KongaPay, a safe and convenient online payment method to tackle the issue of trust in Africa when it came to online payments.
The online marketplace was one of the first in Africa to create a system of payment that was integrated with world banks – an innovation that uses click system that eliminated the sharing of sensitive information during payments.
With a backing from the South African media giant, Naspers, Konga is now a major player in the e-commerce space. In 2014, Naspers, which has a 50% stake in Konga, invested US $50 million in the online store.
3.Kilimall
Kilimall is one of the best ecommerce platforms that has gained popularity in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria. However, most of its traffic (79%) is from Kilimall in Kenya. Products for sell include phones, tablets, fashion, electronics, home appliances, baby products, and more.
Kilimall, Based in Kenya, Kilimall's average monthly site visits is 500, 000.
4.Afrikrea
Afrikrea is an online African marketplace dealing in African fashion, arts and crafts. The products available on the platform include fine art, fabrics, jewelry, bags, etc. It serves clients in over 100 countries globally and has over 5000 shops. Afrikrea online store has over 250,000 visitors every month.
5.Zando
Zando is a South African ecommerce platform where sellers can sell beauty products, fashion brands, homeware, etc. It receives around 3.5 million visitors every month.
6.TAKEALOT
South Africa’s Takealot is the go-to online retailer for the shopper that seeks a convenient and simplified online buying and user experience. The site has been around for over a decade, having been established in the year 2002. Its broad catalogue and variety of products in entertainment gives it an impressionable edge. Customers can shop anything from books to games, computers and TVs.
Part of what makes Takealot an e-commerce success story is that the online retailer strives to provide its customers with the very latest products in the market, coupled with up-to-date product specification.
In April 2017, Takealot scored a significant investment of over US $69 million from Naspers, one of Africa’s biggest digital companies. This came after the online retailer received US $100 million investment from investment firm Tiger Global Management in 2014. Naspers boasts a 53,5% stake in Takealot, while Tiger Global owns about 34%.
Takealot.com in South Africa
7.BIDORBUY
Established in 1999, South Africa’s online store Bidorbuy is one of the oldest online marketplaces in Africa. What makes the site unique is that buyers don’t only get to purchase what they want, but they can also make a bid for products, functioning as an online auction. The site provides a platform to facilitate trade between buyers and sellers. Previously owned items such as antiques and collectables are some of the most popular on Bidorbuy, making up 40% of all items sold. Other second-hand products shoppers prefer include high-end DSLR cameras and lenses, laptops, books, as well as video games.
Over the years, Bidorbuy has made several acquisitions of South African online businesses. These include popular sites such as online jobs portal, Jobs.co.za and e-commerce company uAfrica.com.
Takealot.com in South Africa
8.Souq in Egypt
Souq was originally founded in 2005 by Syrian entrepreneur Ronaldo Mouchawar, as an eBay-style auction site. It transitioned to an Amazon-style ecommerce model from 2010 and became the largest ecommerce platform in the Arab world, serving the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In 2017, Souq was acquired by Amazon.
Souq has been rebranded as Amazon in the UAE and Saudi Arabia but continues to use the Souq name in Egypt, where it has almost ten million visits per month. It sells a wide range of items including electronics, appliances, homewares, groceries, fashion, books, toys and fitness products. Souq is a retailer in its own right as well as a marketplace. The website currently retains the Souq design and branding, which is similar in style to Amazon.
Souq Egypt retains its own seller registration system. All orders are shipped by Souq, not the seller, so businesses need to provide a warehouse or store address in Egypt where the courier can collect orders. Commission fees vary from 5-20%
Souq also offers a fulfillment service, called “Fulfilled by Souq”, which is very similar to Amazon FBA. Products that are fulfilled by Souq have a higher ranking in search, higher priority for the Buy Button, and qualify for customer pickup and international shipping. They can also participate in “White Friday”, Souq’s equivalent to Black Friday.
Souq is also covered in Online Marketplaces in the Middle East: It’s Only Just Getting Started.
Conclusively,these different e-commerce sites or platforms are most popularly used in some African countries more than others, and also most at times these platforms offer a particular commodity or services better than others.
So the knowledge of these different e-commerce sites and platforms will help consumers and e-commerce vendors to know which platform or site is better and more preferable for whatever purpose they want to use an e-commerce service.