African shoppers are buying online from big brands like Amazon and Walmart, despite the companies having no physical presence on the continent. Local and foreign package-forwarding companies are using technology to overcome hurdles such as a lack of formal street addresses and customers with no access to traditional banks.
Delivering Without an Address
Afrety, a Senegalese startup, provides a snapshot of how Africa’s shoppers can rely on intermediaries to buy from the United States, Europe, and China and receive the package at their doorstep. Afrety’s service provides shoppers with delivery addresses at warehouses in France, the United States, and China.
Customers without bank cards can pay by digital, mobile money accounts that can be charged with cash at kiosks. Mobile money is used widely in Senegal, along with other parts of Africa, instead of conventional banking.
A Revolution in Online Shopping in Africa
Global logistics company Aramex is a much bigger rival, operating two platforms with overlapping services. Aramex aims to serve African customers that want choice and brands otherwise unavailable to them.
Online retail volumes in South Africa have grown by close to 35% annually over the last five years to about 140 billion rand in 2025 ($7.26 billion), Mastercard figures show. The growth has drawn big brands to set up their first operations in sub-Saharan Africa.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
