In January 2024, Jumia, a leading African e-commerce platform, initiated layoffs in Kenya and other African markets. This move followed the company's exit from its food delivery venture, Jumia Food, a month prior. The exact number of employees impacted by this decision remains undisclosed.

An anonymous Jumia employee voiced their concerns on Glassdoor, stating that while the layoffs were announced, no specifics were given regarding who would be affected.

This round of layoffs follows a previous downsizing in 2023, where Jumia let go of 900 employees in a bid to reduce costs and steer the company towards profitability. Some employees were reassigned within the company, as reported by TechCabal.

Jumia, in an email to TechCabal, explained that the layoffs were part of a strategic refocus on activities and projects that support their path to profitability. The company remains optimistic about the future of e-commerce in Kenya and Africa.

In 2023, Jumia began phasing out its food delivery business, ceasing operations in Ghana, Senegal, and Egypt. By the end of the year, the company had completely exited the business, citing unsustainable competition with more aggressive players.

Under the stewardship of Francis Dufay, Jumia has prioritized cost discipline and operational cost reduction. The company's Q4 2023 report revealed a decrease in operational losses to $4.5 million for the quarter, along with a reduction in advertising expenses. Despite challenges such as inflation and currency devaluation in key markets, Jumia remains hopeful that cost discipline and positive trends in other markets will lead to profitability.

Performance Marketing Tips for African Startups

Startups in Africa are growing daily, and to survive the heavy competition, you might want to try a different approach to marketing strategy, known as performance marketing.

Performance marketing focuses on measurable outcomes and the impact of marketing efforts on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer acquisition, conversion rates, and revenue generation.

Unlike traditional marketing approaches, which emphasize brand awareness and visibility, performance marketing is inherently data-driven, enabling you to optimize your campaigns and allocate resources more effectively.

In this article, I will explain in detail what performance marketing is all about and how to mine the treasure in it.

Key Performance Marketing Channels for African Startups

1 . Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

What are SEM AND SEO?

SEM (search engine marketing) involves paid strategies to increase a website's visibility in search engine results, using methods like paid advertising.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) focuses on organic, non-paid methods to enhance a website's visibility in search engine results, improving its ranking through content and technical optimizations.

• With most consumers turning to search engines to discover products and services, startups can harness the power of SEM and SEO to enhance their online visibility.
• By targeting relevant keywords and optimizing website content, African startups can improve their organic search rankings and drive qualified traffic to their digital properties.

2. Social media advertising.

Social media advertising is the use of paid promotional content on social platforms to reach a specific audience. It involves creating and targeting

Growth Marketing vs Performance Marketing

Marketing, in its myriad forms, has always been the lifeblood of business development and sustainability.

However, as the digital age continues to metamorphose how consumers interact with brands, the strategies that businesses employ to capture attention, build relationships, and drive sales have also evolved.

Two of such strategic paradigms that have grown in popularity are growth marketing and performance marketing.

marketing and performance marketing is all about.

Defining Growth Marketing and Performance Marketing

Before delving into the nuances separating growth marketing from performance marketing, it’s crucial to understand what each term embodies.

Growth marketing is an integrated approach that focuses on expanding a company’s customer base and increasing its revenue by experimenting with a variety of channels and strategies.

It not only aims to attract new customers but also to activate, retain, and ultimately turn them into champions of the brand, fostering organic growth.

Growth marketers are data-driven, yet they equally prioritize creativity and customer experience throughout the funnel stages.

Performance marketing, on the other hand, is directly tied to specific actions and results.

It’s a blanket term that covers online marketing and advertising programs where advertisers pay only when a specific action such as a click, sale, or lead is completed.

Performance marketing is highly metrics-oriented, focusing on quantifiable results that can be tied back to specific marketing efforts and campaigns.

The Philosophical Distinctions

Beyond definitions, understanding the philosophical differences between growth marketing and performance marketing is essential.

Growth marketing views the user’s journey as a cohesive na

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• Embracing Crypto Payments in Africa.
  
  A cryptocurrency payment gateway is a payment processor for digital currencies, similar to payment processors gateways and acquiring bank credit cards use. Cryptocurrency gateways enable you to accept digital payments,and receive fiat currency immediately in exchange.
  
  Crypto payments are faster and cheaper than traditional international money transfers, which means Africans can keep more of their money instead of paying large currency exchange rates, transfer rates, or other fees. With cryptocurrencies like BTC, there is no need for third-party intermediaries; you can send money directly from one person or company to another, without paying extravagant fees or waiting days on end for transactions to clear through traditional financial institutions.
  
  This is a huge boon to small businesses and startups looking to grow their customer base without needing more resources or access to traditional banking systems. Peer-to-peer exchanges keep more money in African pockets.
  
  This makes crypto ideal when speed and cost savings matter most. Still, it also has applications outside those realms. Businesses can use crypto as an alternative payment method when traveling abroad or sending funds abroad via remittance services like Western Union or MoneyGram.
  
  For some Africans, cryptocurrency is seen as a vital tool to preserve and build wealth. Blockchain is helping African diasporas send money to families cheaply and securely. Crypto is increasingly seen in shops and markets. With countries like Nigeria becoming hotbeds for crypto adoption, it's no wonder we're seeing more African businesses adopting crypto payments.
  
  Africa’s cryptocurrency adoption is silently on the rise. Tech-savvy Ghanans, Nigerians, and South Africans are leading the crypto movement, adopting Bitcoin, stablecoins, and other cryptocurrencies to instead of tradit

Relevant skills every African tech enthusiates could acquire.

 Technical skills are the specialized knowledge and expertise required to perform specific tasks and use specific tools and programs in real world situations. Diverse technical skills are required in just about every field and industry, from IT and business administration to health care and education. 

25 Relevant tech skills in todays world.  

1.Audio production
2.Industrial design
3.Cyber security
4.Artificial intelligence
5.Cloud computing
6.Software engineering
7.Software development
8.Project management
9.UI/UX design
10.Data analytics
11.Data science
12. Programming
13.Computer graphics
14.Digital marketing
15.Translation
16.Mobile development
17. Virtualization
18.Business analysis
19.People Management
20. Technical writing
21. Block chain
22.Quantum computing
23. Robotics
24.Video production
25.Game development  

   Having a tech skill is critical at the level of civilization the world is at,young africans are encouraged to learn a tech skill as this will keep them relevant in this fast changing generation (Genz).