An online platform which aims to encourage intra-Africa trade has been launched in Kenya. Traders of Africa (TOFA) is already in Nigeria, Uganda and Rwanda, and is also set to lauch in Ghana. Kenya is the fourth marketplace.
The products and services TOFA offers include but are not limited to Agriculture, Construction, Wood & Furniture, Food, Beverages, Leather, Textile and Mineral products.
The e-commerce company is focused on developing an online marketplace for the trading of goods and services that are made in or are from Africa.
This happens even as the e-commerce space is attracting more participation, throughout Africa with the likes of Jumia and Kilimall who have managed to become household names in the industry.
According to the UN, the continental African economy has a GDP of $2.8 trillion but intra-African trade is just 16 percent. A lot of Africans would rather import than purchase locally. Ironically, a lot of those ‘exotic’ goods have origin from Africa.
The firm has physically engaged over merchants spread across the continent. It has over 9,000 merchants already signed up and plans to verify buyers and sellers. The firm has also partnered with Ecobank, who will provide Escrow for deal settlements.
It’s goal is to get every African country participating in the platform within a year, with plans to launch in Mali, Zambia, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso & Tanzania over the next 6 months.
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