E-commerce, MOBOfree, celebrates high performances in Nigeria

One of Africa’s leading social marketplace, MOBOfree.com, has expressed satisfaction with performances in Nigeria, indicating that it recorded an increase of over 44 per cent in the number of its registered users in Nigeria.

A statement by the company on Wednesday, said that the growth in the last 12 months resulted in a 1,042 per cent increase in the number of classifieds published on MOBOfree.com in Nigeria.

The statement added that its significant growth in the period under review resulted in more than 500, 000 active listings on its platform in Nigeria.

It noted that over the same period, the number of its registered users increased by more than 1,555 per cent, resulting in a 5,548 per cent increase in the number of classifieds in Uganda.

“With four million registered users, including 2 million monthly active users in Nigeria and a strong footprint in Uganda and Zimbabwe, MOBOfree is one of the largest and most successful classifieds platforms in Africa,’’ it said

Mobofree.com is a leading African social marketplace allowing people to buy, sell and swap products and services with other trusted people.

Like other e-commerce platforms, Mobofree.com integrates social network and classified adverts, making online transactions more personal and safe.

The statement said that Mr Cristobal Alonso, CEO and Co-founder of Mobofree.com attributed the growth of e-commerce in Africa to the improvement in IT and mobile infrastructure in the continent.

“Online trading is growing rapidly across Africa as the IT and mobile infrastructure across the continent continues improving.

“In spite of that, part of our challenge still is convincing people of the value of using the internet to buy, sell or swap items and services,’’ it quoted Alonso as saying.

The statement said that African countries should thread cautiously in borrowing e-commerce ideas into Africa, since what worked in Europe and America might not work in Africa.

“In line with that, we understand that African countries have their own culture, different rates of internet, mobile and Smartphone penetration, so every African market should be approached with an individual strategy.

“Things that work in Europe or the U.S. can be totally unacceptable for African users.

“MOBOfree entered the African markets with a unique concept as it connects social networks and classifieds together in a single platform,’’ the statement said.

It noted that the successes achieved by Mobofree.com were attributable to the company’s understanding of the unique e-commerce space in Africa.

According to the statement, Nigeria’s e-commerce market is developing rapidly, with an estimated growth rate of 25 per cent annually and a potential worth of 10 billion dollars.

It added that about 300,000 online orders were currently being placed on a daily basis on Nigeria’s e-commerce market.

Quoting a recent release by McKenzie and Company, a consulting firm based in the U.S, the statement noted that e-commerce could account for 10 per cent of retail sales in Nigeria by 2025.

(NAN)