Across the world, digital commerce, or e-commerce as it is more popularly known, has evolved to become a significant driver of global economic transformation, creating new use cases and business opportunities for the industry. Africa is no exception to this.
TechCabal, Africa’s leading publication on tech and innovation, has partnered with Klasha, a tech startup focused on cross-border payment solutions for Africa to produce a whitepaper that discusses African e-commerce and its opportunities. This white paper examines the state of international e-commerce in Africa, focusing on the key players contributing to the development of the e-commerce sector and barriers hampering its growth.
It also discusses strategies to remove these barriers and facilitate international trade on the continent, emphasizing the unified digital payment solution startup Klasha and its roles in addressing these challenges.
This paper addresses the questions on the mind of every entrepreneur and policymaker, which are: –
- What is the way forward in tackling these barriers?
- How can we accelerate Africa’s e-commerce development to become a global force and serve as a positive influence in advancing her economy?
Research by Statista indicates that in 2020 the revenue generated by online shopping in Africa was estimated to be around $27.97 billion, an increase of 53% from 2019. Estimates further show that Africa’s e-commerce revenue will increase between 2021 and 2025.
Africa’s internet penetration also supports this growth. There are approximately 465 million internet users on the continent, and this figure is estimated to reach nearly half a billion by 2025. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) also reported that online shoppers in Africa had surged annually by 18% since 2014.
Although the COVID-19 crisis caused some setbacks, the e-commerce sector has not been left behind. Instead, it proved to be a key sector as customers turned to e-commerce to fill the gap left behind by the impact of global lockdown measures. We see this continuing even as the effects of the pandemic are scaling down across the world. According to a survey by Nielsen, consumers in Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya were 40% more likely to either maintain the same shopping levels they had before the pandemic or increase them.
However, e-commerce growth in Africa remains relatively low compared to other regions. For instance, the percentage of online shopping traffic in Africa still represents less than 2% of the total number of e-commerce users globally. This data shows several barriers to actualizing the continent’s full potential.
TechCabal, Africa’s leading publication on tech and innovation, has partnered with Klasha, a tech startup simplifying borderless payments for commerce in Africa, to produce a whitepaper that discusses African e-commerce. This white paper examines the state of international e-commerce in Africa, focusing on the key players contributing to the development of the e-commerce sector and barriers hampering its growth.
The whitepaper is now available for download here. All inquiries about the paper can be directed to TechCabal’s research, data analytics, and consultancy unit, TechCabal Insights via tcinsights@bigcabal.com.
Further information
Press contact details for Klasha:
Kyle du Randt, Head of Marketing
Email: kyle@klasha.com
Phone: +27622764436
About Klasha
Klasha helps merchants worldwide sell online to Africa and receive payments in local African currencies while enjoying super fast last-mile delivery to consumers across the African continent. Klasha provides a seamless and user-centric checkout experience coupled with the option to accept payments across Africa with Klasha Payment Links, the no-code required a solution to selling without a storefront. For additional information, visit https://klasha.com/.
