This archive report was first published on 11 May 2020.
On May 11, 2020, the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) partnered with Jumia to launch the Digital Commerce Program, aimed at helping businesses digitize and grow their online sales amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program will enable thousands of businesses to register and sell online, with access to over 4 million Kenyans who visit Jumia's platform monthly.
"Now more than ever, we need to be all-hands-on-deck to help cushion businesses from the impact of COVID-19," said Jumia Kenya CEO, Sam Chappatte. "We will commit resources to support KEPSA's Digital Commerce initiative, to train vendors and give them the tools to sell online effectively."
Businesses will be able to register and open their shops on Jumia at zero startup costs and no hidden costs. Jumia will also cut its commissions on vendors by 50% for locally manufactured goods and to 1% for all businesses enrolling via the Digital Commerce Program for their first month on the platform.
KEPSA CEO, Ms. Carole Karuga, added, "We believe Jumia is the best-positioned e-commerce company to do this – with its current scale and countrywide operations – and is prepared to invest upfront in this initiative."
As part of the program, Jumia will provide free online training, ranging from the basics of e-commerce to operations, marketing, finance, and sales. The initial phase of the program will be limited to Nairobi, with a view to scaling it out to other counties.
