The social-economic disruption caused by Covid-19 has made e-commerce a necessity even as Africa rushes against time to establish a common position on borderless trade.
Speaking while giving an overall overview on commerce trade in the region yesterday, Africa Sokoni chief executive officer Ebrima Fatty said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will help to remove trade barriers that have clouded the Sh4 trillion rich market for decades.
While e-commerce is borderless, a common ground on various policies especially on data and internet infrastructure is key in unlocking the region's idle potential.
"Although Africa is lagging its peers in terms of internet penetration, e-commerce adoption is taking shape with Covid-19 accelerating the need as the trade pact removes barriers,''Ebrima.
He forecasts better tidings for the sector going forward, dismissing claims that the Covid-19 induced growth momentum will ease in the coming days.
It is on this basis that his firm has announced an elaborate expansion plan in Kenya and the East Africa region as it celebrates its fourth year in operations.
“We are planning to expand to new territories in Africa and also in Kenya in other areas outside Nairobi as we have seen that we have potential to serve Kenyans,” Ebrima said.
The firm plans to open drop-off and pick-up points in the Western, Eastern, Rift Valley and Coast counties.
It will move into Uganda and Tanzania in the second half of the year.
The firm also plans to delve into logistics soon.
The African online marketplace covers the entire purchasing transaction lifecycle of consumers online, with the business-to-business (B2B) transactions and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions.
“We have in the past year started to aggressively work on the B2B side of our business with an inbounding model as we continue to digitise our supply chains across the informal sector and target more customs,” the firm's chief operating officer Yvonne Malebe said.
