Afrimarket, Cdiscount, Jumia in Cameroon and Rwanda… The successive closures of several major e-commerce players have cast a chill over the entire e-commerce market in the sub-region.
Despite these successive closures across the e-commerce market in French-speaking Africa, some players are persisting, while others are innovating.
Two years after Jumia's activities in Cameroon were put on hold, former senior executives of the company have announced the launch of Kuruba.com, the first online platform specializing in wholesale. This marketplace makes it possible for small retailers to easily and directly source supplies from thousands of listed brands and have them delivered anywhere in the country.
According to figures from various internal reports, there is a huge potential market in the B2B segment in Africa, which will continue to grow until 2030. There are more than 100,000 small retailers in Cameroon, 60% of which are based in Douala and Yaoundé, and the supply market for these stores represents more than $1 billion each year. Unfortunately, due to structural issues, these operators face many difficulties in sourcing supplies from brands.
Aware of the challenges but also the opportunities, former Jumia employees decided to set up this e-commerce platform to facilitate the relationship between brands and retailers operating in Cameroon. The platform also addresses the many difficulties these small businesses face in their supply chain.
"Despite the rise of B2C e-commerce in Africa, local shops are still very popular, and the digital transformation of the shopping experience can only happen if these shops close to the end customer are brought on board with the digital adventure."
Source: press release