By Judith Gicobi
The rise of e-commerce in Africa has resulted in fewer visits to retail outlets.
Following the decline in online fraud, online shopping becoming the preferred standard across the continent, according to a survey by Jiji, one of Kenya’s biggest online marketplaces.
In the last two years, Jiji reports to have reduced the number of scammers by up to tenfold. According to the firm’s poll, more than 45 percent of shoppers prefer the e-marketplace because of the number of products and services available.
Jiji Kenya’s Country Manager, Maksym Golubev, said the capacity to combat online fraud has boosted credibility in the country’s e-commerce industry.
“Over the past year, we have invested heavily in reducing scam levels by up to 10 times and educating our users on safety measures. As a result, we have been awarded twice as the best e-commerce site and twice as the best classifieds website in Kenya,” he added.
More than 40% of consumers in four African countries planned to cut their supermarket shopping by buying food, clothing, and electronics online, according to survey data released in a United Nations Conference on Trade and Development study in March.
