How AliExpress is doubling down on Africa’s e-commerce market

Shopping on AliExpress just got a whole lot easier for African consumers. The global e-commerce giant has expanded its local currency payment options across several countries, including Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Morocco. 

If you've been using AliExpress in Africa, you'd remember how we've had to rely on international payment methods like credit cards or foreign currency transactions, which often led to extra costs, transaction delays, and sometimes outright payment failures due to local banking restrictions. Now, with local currency payments in place, AliExpress is removing one of the biggest barriers to online shopping in Africa.

This move follows the successful integration of mobile payment solutions like M-Pesa in Kenya and Opay and Verve card payments in Nigeria last year. With this expansion, AliExpress is making it even easier to buy products without worrying about exchange rates or access to global banking services.

Now, this rollout is in alignment with its biggest annual shopping promotion, running from March 17 to 26. What this means is that you not only get the convenience of paying in local currency but also access to massive discounts and coupon deals. 

Beyond payments, AliExpress has been working to improve the entire shopping experience in Africa. The e-tailer now promises delivery as fast as 10 days for cross-border orders in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and Tanzania. Considering how long it used to take for packages to arrive from China, this could be a big deal.

If you’re a wholesale buyer in Ethiopia, there’s more. AliExpress has opened its first African showroom, allowing you to inspect products in person before placing bulk orders. This initiative helps address trust issues some of us have had, especially with the famous “what I ordered vs what I got” experience.

To make local payments work effortlessly, AliExpress has partnered with financial service providers and mobile money platforms across Africa. This means users in different countries can pay using their preferred methods. In Ethiopia, for instance, Telebirr could play a major role in making transactions accessible.

AliExpress is doubling down on Africa’s e-commerce market, and for good reason. The continent’s online shopping industry is rapidly growing, and by eliminating payment barriers, improving logistics, and even opening physical showrooms, AliExpress is building quite the reputation for African e-commerce.

But the competition is heating up. Other global e-commerce giants, including Jumia and Temu, are also rapidly expanding.