We are always at the early stage when it comes to B2C E-Commerce in Africa where consumers are steadily seeing the advantages of online services including shopping.
If few Internet users in Africa until now have made an online
purchase, it is interesting to recall that, Africa has had the most rapid
Internet growth rate in the world in the past five years.
However, Internet penetration rates remain low compared
to other global regions, while Mobile is the main means of Internet connections
in Africa.
Countries including South Africa, Tunisia, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco
lead the momentum; and convenience is one of the enticements for buying online.
According to Research and Markets, there are two main barriers to wider
acceptance of B2C E-Commerce in Africa: delivery infrastructure and secure
payment methods.
The firm reveals in its report that, several countries lack even
an organized physical address system, and cash on delivery is the main payment
method that the developing local online merchants, Takealot, Jumia and Konga
among them, must deal with; pending the maturation of mobile money apps and
services.