Jumia published its Jumia Africa e-Commerce Index 2021, and according to the report, grocery and everyday essentials were the best selling products during the pandemic.
KAMPALA | LIFESTYLE UGANDA (https://lifestyleuganda.com/) — Jumia published its first Africa e-commerce report, Jumia Africa e-Commerce Index 2021 that leveraged data from the Jumia platform to illustrate consumers’ reliance on Jumia for their needs as they shop online on the go using their smartphones.
- African e-commerce leader Jumia publishes the Jumia Africa e-Commerce Index 2021.
- During the pandemic, E-commerce provided solutions for businesses and communities.
- See the full Jumia Africa e-Commerce Index 2021 here: https://cutt.ly/LRHp7I4.
- Check out Jumia Uganda’s annual vendor conference before Black Friday 2021.
- Also check out Jumia, Coca Cola, Unilever, and Movit’s “Brand Festival.”.
The shift is part of a broader economic transformation triggered by Africa’s young, urban, and tech-savvy population. The report was prepared by UNCTAD, IFC, and Mastercard, highlighting the implications that e-commerce has on the continent’s economy.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant supply and logistical disruption, it also strengthened demand for everyday products, fast-moving consumer goods and personal care products, which grew quickly on the Jumia platform at the onset of the pandemic.
The effects of the pandemic, coupled with Jumia’s marketing and commercial efforts, resulted in a shift in their product category mix with the Fashion, Beauty, and FMCG categories accounting for 57% of GMV in 2020, up from 44% in 2019.
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“This index underscores how instrumental Jumia has become to the consumers in the countries we serve,” said Sacha Poignonnec, Jumia co-Founder and co-CEO.
While the pandemic was going on, e-commerce played an important role in providing solutions to both businesses and the people that they serve.
Jumia’s partnerships with various brands and organizations have allowed SMEs to reach millions of consumers online; the UNDP in Uganda supports market sellers through Jumia Food.
Additionally, local artisans in Morocco can sell online through a partnership with the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism and Handicrafts, Egyptian SMEs can sell online with Alex Bank and Sawiris Foundation, and farmers in Cote d’Ivoire can sell to more consumers through Jumia.
According to Ron Kawamara, CEO of Jumia Uganda, e-commerce and specifically Jumia have seen strong adoption in Uganda and across Africa, as customers who shop online stay because of their quality of service, price and convenience.
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‘’We see strong adoption of e-commerce and specifically Jumia in Uganda and across Africa and the customers who have shopped online stay because of the quality of service, price and convenience we offer. In the last 2 years, the Jumia service was even more critical to enabling sellers to keep their shops open and customers safe in their homes while getting the goods and services they need to be delivered at home.”, said Ron Kawamara, CEO of Jumia Uganda.
“In Uganda and across Africa, we see strong adoption of e-commerce and specifically Jumia, with customers who shop online staying because of the value, convenience and quality of service provided.” said Ron Kawamara, CEO of Jumia Uganda.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimates that internet businesses in Africa, including e-commerce which is at the heart of the digital economy, could add $180 billion to the continent’s GDP by 2025.
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According to Torbjorn Fredriksson, Head of the ICT Policy at UNCTAD, the COVID-19 led to greater use of digital solutions, including e-commerce. This was particularly evident with domestic sales rather than cross-border sales.
“COVID-19 led to a surge in the use of digital solutions, including e-commerce. This was particularly demonstrated with domestic sales rather than cross-border e-commerce. Food delivery, essentials, and pharmaceutical goods were among the top-performing online shopping categories,” said Torbjorn Fredriksson, Chief of the ICT Policy, UNCTAD.
“COVID-19 led to an increase in the use of digital solutions, including e-commerce, particularly domestic sales rather than cross-border e-commerce,” said Torbjorn Fredriksson, Chief of the ICT Policy, UNCTAD.
During COVID-19, the pace of innovation toward improving financial inclusion has increased, including the movement towards cashless payments.
“Consumers are increasingly shifting their spending habits to embrace contactless tap-and-go payments, online shopping, and are exploring the potential of new ways to pay.” said Ngozi Megwa, Senior Vice President Digital Partnerships, Middle-East and Africa, Mastercard.
Jumia has seen increased usage of digital payments on its platform during the pandemic, with more consumers using JumiaPay for the first time for safety reasons as well as benefits such as bill-paying through the app.
You can view the full report of the Jumia Africa e-Commerce Index 2021 here: https://cutt.ly/LRHp7I4.
