Aiming to make it easier for entrepreneurs to sell African-made products throughout Africa, Nigerian startup Shoptreo is offering an online B2B marketplace that connects the continent’s artisans and manufacturers with informal retailers and vendors.
The marketplace was launched in November 2021 by Chief Operating Officer Emmanuel Jacobs and CEO George Uteh and has served customers in Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Cameroon. The company is now looking to expand across the continent, according to a report by Disrupt Africa Thursday (Aug. 18).
“For some Nigerians and Africans who depend on made-in-Africa products, they had to travel far, some had to close their businesses to be able to go to the market to restock their stores,” Jacobs said in the report. “But with the Shoptreo marketplace, these people can stay in the comfort of their homes or offices and allow the market to come to them by just ordering from our website or directly from their preferred vendor, and be assured of safe delivery.”
Other African B2B marketplaces have been in the news recently, too. One, Kwely, aims to give African producers the necessary tools and support to succeed in the global marketplace.
In April, the Senegalese company raised $1 million in seed funding to support its marketing and distribution efforts and the launch of its B2B digital wholesale platform and packaging services facility.
See also: Private Labels, Custom Packaging Giving ‘Made in Africa’ Brands an Image Makeover
“I don’t want to say that we’re an ‘Alibaba’ for Africa, [but] we are building a company that we hope will do the same for our local producers and have the same impact Alibaba has had on the industrial sector,” Kwely founder and CEO Birame Sock told PYMNTS in a May interview.
Meanwhile, Nigerian B2B marketplace TradeDepot expanded in February with its acquisition of Ghana-based competitor Green Lion. This followed its $110 million Series B fundraising round.
Read more: TradeDepot Targets Growth in Ghana with Green Lion Acquisition
“Ghana represents a significant market for consumer goods in Africa, and we are excited to bring the Green Lion team onboard to drive growth and prosperity for more retailers and distributors in the country,” TradeDepot CEO and co-founder Onyekachi Izukanne said at the time.
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