I bought a new 4K Apple TV in Accra yesterday after I got pissed with the performance of my Amazon FireTV Cube. The Amazon vs Apple device war is another matter for later. What was interesting was how I bought it. I will list the steps I took and what I learned below.
I initially went to the Apple reseller at the Mall and found out that they had only one device left and it was a 32GB 1080p 4th generation version which they had marked up by $120. I would have actually still bought it if they gave me a 10% discount as I asked, they declined.
I decided to check both Amazon and Jumia. Amazon was not delivering to Ghana at this time. The Jumia version was cheaper than the mall version but was meant to come next week. I was meant to pay ahead. I didn’t trust Jumia to hold my money and tell stories. An important point.
I decided to try the Google-backed alternative ”Jara” from Area120. The model made a lot of sense as a marketplace but the people who listed devices there either didn’t respond when messages were sent or didnt have them anymore when I managed to call them. Items are still listed.
@Texazzpete my guy told me to try Jiji Ghana as it was the best local marketplace. What is interesting is that Peter lives in Nigeris and he knows more than I do. I live in Accra and didn’t think of Jiji first. Those classifieds are powerful. We have bought cars from Tonaton.
Another interesting point is that I indicated my issues here on Twitter and Peter responded. Social media is very powerful for product discovery and marketing. Many things we buy or use are based on recommendations. This is why Facebook, Amazon and Google are fighting for India.
I got on Jiji, the guy with the cheapest device didn’t respond to me as usual but there were a variety of other options and I contacted 3 of the sellers. One had to get to the office first and was charging me for delivery. He lost the deal to the hungrier guy who sent his brother
The entire transaction was completed in hours and not days as Jumia or Amazon would have done. I bought a 32GB 4K device for the equivalent of $152. I bought a 1080p 32GB version from BestBuy last year in America for $160 with taxes. I don’t know how the guy did it, it is working
The entire process has made me question our eCommerce assumptions in Africa. The marketplace remains the best approach. The hungry guys will make things work. The problem is that it is complex and hard to manage or make money from. I figure that platforms like Jiji are ad funded.
As a consumer, it doesn’t matter to me if they’re not making money. What matters most to me is getting a great deal and not wasting time to get it. This is the core value proposition any commerce marketplace provides, from the local market to the online mall. It requires thinking
Nobody cares about fancy websites. They want rapid discovery, trust and speed. This is what I realized that Jumia failed to do for me. I didn’t trust them because of the stories that I had heard online about delays. Trust is a vital component of commerce and Jumia has little.
Trust = Superior Service. @Texazzpete sold Jiji to me. They have been doing a lot of online adverts but those didn’t matter to me as much as the recommendation by a friend. This has me thinking and buzzing of a new model where Peter can make money for doing that.
I think @theflutterwave may be on to something as it is now easier for anyone to build on what they have. I am excited just thinking about what is possible.
Another example of social media recommendations powering eCommerce was buying snails last week. Someone on Twitter here recommended Krobo snails. All I did was to call them and learn that all my assumptions that they were not in Accra were wrong. Learned more about food delivery.
I think that affiliate marketing via social media is what will work for digital commerce in Africa. Not influencer marketing or adverts. I am now reading more about how it works.
Originally printed on my Twitter page
