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

The crucial role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the economic growth and development of Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. They contribute significantly to job creation, poverty reduction, and overall socio-economic advancement. 

However, one of the major challenges faced by SMEs in Nigeria is the efficient management of their supply chains and logistics operations aside from their inadequate capital. Small and Medium Enterprises are basically businesses with small scales of operation, hence always challenged by inadequate capital for their business. By Nigerian definition, Small and Medium enterprises are basically businesses with up to 250 employees. Small enterprise has 10-49 employees while Medium enterprises have 50-249 employees. 

In this article, we will delve into the vital role that logistics plays in empowering SMEs in Nigeria and explore various ways to enhance their logistics capabilities.

What’s Logistics in Business? 

This simply refers to the coordination and movement of products from point A (origin/point of sale) to point B (consumption) in order to meet customers’ needs. This implies that efficient and effective logistics is paramount to the success of any SMEs since they need to package and deliver their products to their customers in a less expensive manner, stress-free, fast, and in good conditions to their customers by leveraging on good logistics service providers. 

The Roles of Logistics in Empowering SMEs in Nigeria

The following are the several ways in which delivery service providers assist small businesses in reaching their goals;

1. Enhancing Market Access:

Logistics companies play a pivotal role in enabling SMEs to access new markets and expand their customer base. Efficient transportation, distribution, and warehousing systems are essential for SMEs to reach both domestic and international markets. With efficient logistics companies such as the likes of Kwik Piks, SMEs can rest assured that their products will be delivered efficiently to their customers not minding their locations or time time-frames of expected deliveries. This connects SMEs to regional and global supply chains, enabling them to compete on a larger scale.

2. Cost Reduction:

Effective logistics management can significantly reduce operational costs for SMEs. By optimizing transportation routes, adopting efficient inventory management systems, and implementing lean logistics practices, SMEs can minimize wastage, improve productivity, and achieve cost savings. This, in turn, allows them to allocate resources to other critical business areas such as product development, marketing, and talent acquisition.

3. Supply Chain Integration:

Logistics serves as a crucial link in integrating various components of the supply chain for SMEs. It involves the coordination of suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, ensuring seamless flow and timely delivery of goods and services. By streamlining supply chain processes, SMEs can reduce lead times, improve customer satisfaction, and enhance overall business performance.

4. Enhancing Competitive Advantage:

Efficient logistics operations can provide SMEs with a competitive edge in the market. By delivering products promptly, maintaining inventory accuracy, and offering reliable after-sales services, SMEs can build a reputation for reliability and customer satisfaction. Such a positive brand image not only attracts new customers but also fosters customer loyalty, allowing SMEs to compete with larger enterprises.

5. E-commerce and Last-Mile Delivery:

The rise of e-commerce has opened up new opportunities for SMEs in Nigeria. However, the success of online businesses heavily relies on efficient last-mile delivery logistics. By partnering with logistics service providers or adopting in-house delivery networks, SMEs can ensure prompt and reliable delivery of products to their customer's doorsteps. This strengthens customer trust, boosts sales, and enables SMEs to tap into the growing e-commerce market.

Conclusion

Logistics plays a pivotal role in empowering small and medium enterprises in Nigeria.

This is with the now existence of several top-notch third-party logistics companies such as Kwik Pik. They basically take away the stress of packaging and delivering of SMEs products to their client with a web3-based app where customers can track their packages, have different modes of transportation to choose from, arrays of payment options to choose and assurance of the safety of their package till arrival. 

This enables SMEs to enhance their market access, reduce costs, enhance their competitive advantages, and be rest assured of the last-mile delivery of their products to their customers thereby enabling them to focus on other core goals of their enterprise growth and development.

Download Kwik Pik apps on Google Play and App Store here for a seamless last-mile delivery service for your enterprise as an SME.