Newly launched pan-African B2B marketplace, Zandaux.com, has commenced operations in South Africa as it aims to become the “Alibaba of Africa”. The e-commerce platform connects buyers and sellers across the continent adopting a “one Africa, one market” approach and allows businesses across all sectors to offer their services and products to customers anywhere in Africa.
Zandaux is headquartered in Johannesburg and focuses on democratizing e-commerce for Africa’s SMEs. It launched its first operations in Kenya and Nigeria last month and plans to expand to Egypt by the end of February. Initially, Zandaux will operate in Africa’s four major markets before further expanding across the continent.
Franck Obambi Ngatse, CEO and founder of Zandaux, stated at the launch in Johannesburg that the platform is a driving force aimed at digitizing African businesses and providing them with the opportunity to operate intercontinentally, targeting Africa’s 1.3 billion citizens.
Zandaux’s mission is to help businesses scale and increase their revenue, aiming to alleviate extreme poverty in Africa by boosting the incomes of millions. The platform connects suppliers and customers, enhancing sales efficiency, and exposing customers to previously inaccessible suppliers, products, and services while reducing transaction costs.
“70% of our African market consists of small businesses, which often lack the budget to reach their target audience. Zandaux allows these businesses to access markets they might not have been able to reach without an e-commerce platform, opening up a world of business opportunities,” explained Ngatse.
Zandaux’s target market includes SMEs, manufacturers, social enterprises, wholesalers, resellers, distributors, factory shops, and importers and exporters of all types of merchandise, including vehicles, which will pay a 3% commission on each item purchased on the platform.
Zandaux is entering a competitive field with established platforms like Jumia, Copia, HoBeei, and Konga.com targeting African businesses and consumers. It’s expected that e-commerce shoppers in Africa will reach 236 million by the end of 2024 before growing at an annual rate of 43% to 338.45 million users by 2028, according to Statista.
According to Ngatse, Zandaux has been under development since 2020 and already attracts over 20 million unique daily visitors. The company had a soft launch in South Africa in October and began marketing and signing up local businesses. Currently, around 1,000 African businesses in total are registered to operate on the platform.
Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are integral to Zandaux’s operation, helping to provide a user-friendly experience while ensuring maximum security. Zandaux currently uses third-party payment services but plans to develop its own payment infrastructure for complete control of the payment process.
“The marketplace has the highest level of multi-layered security to protect all users and the payment processes. The use of AI, machine learning, and other innovations ensure a personalized buyer experience and maximum protection against suspicious activity,” stated Ngatse.
While merchants’ third-party courier partners handle deliveries, Zandaux facilitates communication between buyers and sellers. Dennis Reumer, CTO of Zandaux, at the launch said their focus is on ensuring a smooth payment process and enabling engagements between buyers and sellers.
Ngatse, originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a seasoned entrepreneur with experience leading several businesses across sectors. He received various qualifications including an MSc in International Business Management from Groningen University, an MSc in Corporate Entrepreneurship from Utrecht University, and a BSc in Economics Business Economics from Utrecht University.
