Africa Sokoni Kenyan e-commerce platform plans entry into Uganda and Tanzania

Nairobi based online marketplace Africa Sokoni is now set to expand to neighbouring Uganda and Tanzania.

The four-year-old e-commerce platform plans to grow its footprint out of the country for the first time after finding its footing locally.

The firm says it has started fund-raising for the expansion which commences in the second quarter of the year with the financing phase set to close within six months.

Africa Sokoni previous attempts to expand its network including a planned acquisition of a local online dealer in Nigeria were set back by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, the company is set to unveil a new logistics application as it seeks to grow its business to business (B2B) arm to include the setting up of dropping and pickup points across the country.

According to Ebrima Fatty, trends of online shopping established at the start of the pandemic are expected to stick even as restrictions such as the closure of physical stores end.

“The transition to e-commerce has largely happened. Those who were reluctant to try the alternative have now tried and they see that it is working. Even as we return to normalcy, the experience is there. We expect consumers to see the value e-commerce represents,” he added.

Africa Sokoni describes itself as an online marketplace tailor-made for the African market by offering competitive prices on quality items.

The firm sees itself as a pan-African online hub over the long term with presence in multiple countries on the continent.