Jiji expands beyond Africa to Bangladesh
With a foothold in Africa, Jiji is ready to make its mark elsewhere, bringing convenience and innovation to a new frontier.
The digital marketplace, it seems, has no borders. While the likes of Jumia and Konga battle for dominance in Africa, a major contender is quietly redrawing the map. And it's not staying put.
Jiji, the African e-commerce giant connecting buyers and sellers through online listings, is now setting its sights on a market thousands of miles away, signaling a bold new chapter in its global ambitions.
Specifically, Bangladesh is next on the list. Jiji currently operates in seven African countries, including Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, and my home country, Nigeria, boasting a solid user base of 12 million monthly active users. The move to Bangladesh isn't just about market expansion; it's about tapping into a high-growth emerging market with 131 million Internet users and a rising middle class eager to shop online.
Moreover, with the country's e-commerce sector projected to hit $13 billion by 2027, according to Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI), the timing couldn't be better for Jiji to make its mark. Bangladesh's government has also been proactive in fostering e-commerce growth. They set up the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act back in 2006, which made online transactions safer and tackled cybersecurity.
Plus, with 79% of consumers shopping online in 2024 and nearly half comfortable with digital payments, it's like they've laid the groundwork for Jiji. But, of course, Jiji is not walking into an empty room. It'll be up against some big local players like Daraz, Bikroy, and Ajkerdeal.
Regardless, the company has already registered its local subsidiary and soft-launched in Bangladesh, aiming to invest millions of dollars to capture a huge chunk of the e-commerce market share alongside leadership in the classified ads market.
But the big question is, will simply throwing money at the problem be enough to win over the Bangladeshi market? The company is going to need to get creative if it wants to replicate its African success. And when you look at its African playbook, you can see how it operates.
Remember how Jiji started out in Nigeria? It offered free listings, partnered with manufacturers to get their app pre-installed on smartphones, and even got Airtel to provide data-free access to its platform. Now, it's taking that same playbook to Bangladesh, aiming to bring the same level of convenience and security to millions of new users.
Techloy
