On 20 November 2018, Cellulant said it had introduced Africa’s first augmented reality try-on experience inside Facebook Messenger, with Kenyan beauty brand Huddah Cosmetics named as the first merchant on the platform.
The rollout is tied to Cellulant’s Mula payment product, which the company says is meant to simplify social commerce for merchants and customers. Under the setup, shoppers can discover a product, try it virtually and complete payment without leaving Facebook and Instagram.
For Huddah Cosmetics, the first use case is lipstick. The AR tool activates a phone camera and lets buyers test different shades before making a purchase through Mula. Cellulant said the aim is to improve trust, conversion and fulfillment in a market where consumers often want to touch and feel products before buying.
Cellulant Chief Product Officer Faizal Mirza said the partnership was designed to address fragmented commerce experiences and connect micro-merchants, also described by the company as “Hustle-preneurs,” to mobile customers across Africa.
Huddah Cosmetics, launched in 2016, was founded by Kenyan model and entrepreneur Alhuda Njoroge, better known as Huddah Monroe. The brand says it focuses on long-lasting everyday makeup for African women. Monroe said she started the company out of passion and wanted to create products that celebrate African beauty. She added that the Facebook and Cellulant partnership would give customers a shopping experience that had not happened before.
Cellulant also pointed to a GeoPoll survey published in February 2018, which found that Facebook groups were widely used by online shoppers. The survey said Facebook accounted for 32% and ranked second among leading online retail channels in the main e-commerce regions. It also noted that mobile phone penetration across the continent is creating more room for e-commerce growth.
Facebook Product Partnership Lead for the Middle East and Africa, Proud Dzambukira, said the company was excited to work with Cellulant and Huddah Cosmetics on what it described as a first for the continent. He said the platform could support social commerce and help Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Cellulant said the partnership fits its wider goal of helping young entrepreneurs turn online hustles into scalable businesses. Kenya is the first market to get the new experience, with Nigeria, Tanzania and Rwanda expected to follow.
