The Recycler Issue 333

Search for The You Recycler can contact Facebook The Recycler for more via news Twitter and at industry @RecyclerMedia coverage
“Start small, invest, and from there you
grow,” says Sacha Poignonnec, “and you
go from online to offline instead of doing
the same thing as in Europe or the US,
where the merchants go offline to online.”
It’s an interesting angle, but a truthful
one – brands like Copia Global have
already proved the wisdom of e-commerce
businesses going towards customers,
rather than waiting for customers to
come to them. Copia built up a network
of bricks-and-mortar agents to reach the
harder-to-access corners of the market,
and was rewarded with investment and
success.
“We established relationships with agents
in these areas, because those agents are
trusted members of the community,” said
Tim Steel, “and through them we build
a direct relationship with the consumer.”
So far, Quartz reports, Copia has fulfilled
over three million orders to nearly half
a million customers, and is “eyeing
expansion” across East Africa – and
potentially beyond.
Copia are a good example of a
phenomenon identified by The Asian
Banker’s Masekesa, who detailed the
hurdles e-commerce faced, and observed
that “the same factors are encouraging the
development of innovative solutions for
online shopping in Africa.”
To succeed in Africa’s e-commerce
industry then, it is perhaps more
important to adapt to the barriers than
to seek to remove them entirely – which
would prove a slow process, as many are
long-standing hurdles, predating the
online retail sector itself.
Companies waiting for economic growth
nationally may be waiting a while – but
as The Next Web observes, “economic
development is not the primary
determinant of e-commerce use […] other
factors are more important, such as sites
that cater to the language needs and
cultural preferences of local shoppers.”
Recognising that speaking to customers
in their own language - literally and
figuratively - has helped drive the success
of the market’s strongest players. “The
goal,” said Copia’s Steel, “is to make sure
that we have technology that’s appropriate
to the consumer.”
To really grow in the market, the key
is to adapt your business to fit the
circumstances – not vice versa.
“E-commerce did not come up in Nigeria
because there was an opportunity, it
To really grow in the market, the key
is to adapt your business to fit the
circumstances – not vice versa.
came up because it was hot globally,”
tech veteran Emeka Okoye told Quartz.
“Fundamentally, that was wrong because
e-commerce ventures did not build their
businesses in Nigeria based on social
behaviour.”
The hurdles companies have faced “didn’t
just pop up,” Okoye added. “They have
always been there.”
Whilst that is inarguable, it remains
true that if done right, online retail still
presents a rich seam of opportunity in a
continent seeing real consumer growth.
“The potential for a remarkable and
long-lasting e-commerce growth is
within Africa’s grasps,” says Nicolas
Goldstein. “It is the responsibility of
everyone involved in this market to do
everything in their power, so that African
countries can truly enjoy and benefit
from e-commerce.” ■
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
ALL STOCK AVAILABLE
Toner Cartridges
Chips
Waste Toner Bottles
Fuser Units
Drum Units
Developers
OEM STOCK
PPE
Despite the circumstances,
we’re still working hard
to deliver fantastic
remanufactured products
to all our valued clients
State-of-the-art filling
machines in the UK
ISO 9001 & 14001 certified
products, services & facilities
Dedicated research and
development teams
The largest range of
products and parts in the UK
Contact ECS NOW
www.ecs-uk-ltd.com
+44 (0)1427 337 350
Effective Consumable Solutions
Issue 333
August 2020
11