The speed with which further scale is achieved in Kenya and Uganda will determine how quickly Copia enters new east African markets, Steele says. It’s “very possible” that entry into Rwanda and Tanzania will occur in 2022, subject to the progress of Covid-19, he adds. Steele says Copia can accommodate that kind of consumer profitably and with urban levels of service. Steele contrasts Copia’s approach with that of Jumia, which he describes as a “Western e-commerce model” aimed at mid to upper-income groups. Copia has 1.2m unique customers and has generated expansive amounts of customer data that it can share with agents, Steele says.

Source: The North Africa Journal December 28, 2021 10:06 UTC