eCommerce Report: Ghana’s Top 20 eCommerce Websites

03.09.2015 LISTEN

Introduction
The Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) launched an internet payment gateway to enable holders of domestic Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards to make payments and purchases online. The launch of the ‘gh-link e-Commerce’ is to promote e-commerce and promote the creation of jobs as various services are needed in the e-commerce value chain.

Definition:eCommerce can be defined as the conduct of transactions by electronic means. As in purchases of goods and services from online stores on the Web. These days many people spend quality time on the social media, commenting on issues and chatting with friends.

A number of small businesses in the Ghana are now on the Internet. They provide a platform where goods can be bought online and delivered to the customer’s doorstep. The emergence of retail online outfits such as Jumia, Konga and Kaymu has also increased people’s participation in this e-commerce. Experts observe that the present trend in e-commerce is a revolution that other entrepreneurs have also embraced. Different sectors of the economy are using the business opportunities this platform provides to expand their services.

In this situational analysis article, I try to review the top eCommerce sites and businesses in Ghana. My original goal was to get 20 ecommerce websites in Ghana to review, however finding 18 was more than a chore. And that goes to show how underdeveloped the Ghanaian ecommerce space remains. Please find below my findings with information culled from the respective websites:

1.
Company name: eShopAfrica.com
url: eShopAfrica.com

“eShopAfrica.com is a fair trade social business creating sustainable businesses for traditional African artisans. Based in Accra, Ghana. eShopAfrica.com has been trading online since 2001 and was one of the first eCommerce sites based in Africa. The company is registered in Ghana as an export only company promoting products from the non-traditional sector. They claim to invest in their artisans enabling them to find new markets and grow their businesses in a sustainable way. Where possible we support artisans from the least developed sectors of society including artisan groups and community organizations.

We are in contact with our artisans and so can pass on to them bespoke orders and special design requests. We also give feedback to them on how their products are used and how they can innovated their products to appeal to market taste. eShopAfrica.com has been a member of the World Fair Trade Organization since 2010. From 2004 to 2009 we were a member of the Fair Trade Federation. Many products can be bought through our website but we have access to many more.”

2.
Company name: Tonaton.com
url: Tonaton.com

“Tonaton.com is a website where you can buy and sell almost everything. The best deals are often done with people who live in your own city or on your own street, so on Tonaton.com it’s easy to buy and sell locally. All you have to do is select your region. It’s completely free to publish a classified ad on Tonaton.com, and it takes you less than 2 minutes. You can sign up for a free account and post ads easily every time.

Tonaton.com has the widest selection of popular second hand items all over Ghana, which makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for. So if you’re looking for a car, mobile phone, house, computer or maybe a pet, you will find the best deal on Tonaton.com. Tonaton.com does not specialize in any specific category – here you can buy and sell items in more than 50 different categories.”

3.
Company name: Carmudi
url: carmudi.com.gh

“Carmudi allows you to find the vehicle of your dreams. Our aim is to strengthen the position of consumers by providing information on the car market, then put in contact with individuals and professional sellers. They strive to ensure that every ad should provide the accurate information on each vehicle to make your choice easy.

At Carmudi, we are not sellers. Our role is to help you find the right car and make the link with the owner. As a member of the family Rocket Internet, we bring our unrivaled experience in the launch of hundreds of companies around the world. With our experience and our know-how, as well as a clear understanding of the specifications of the Ghana car market, we offer the best online market place for vehicles in Ghana. We are also the only market place that provides zero-fraud and trusted sellers with full transparancy creating a premium experience.”

4.
Company name: Heel The World(HTW)
url: http://www.htwshoes.com

“We make high-end bespoke men’s shoes and leather accessories and use some of the proceeds to support people in the start-up space, collaborate with younger fashion brands, and have paid internships annually.

In 2010 Fred went to buy a pair of Italian shoes from a boutique in Osu, Ghana. They were beautiful and he showed them to a shoe-shine boy who was walking by, asking him if they could be made in Ghana. To his dismay the shoeshine boy and other people he knew said that it was impossible for the shoes to be done in Ghana. Fred thought, if we cannot make our own shoes here when will we make our own airplanes? He was then a disappointed banker, and he shared his concern with Vijay Manu, a young ICT undergraduate student. The two of them decided to do 2 things: a high-end shoemaking company that worked to empower young people to chase their dreams, no matter how crazy. in February 2011, Heel The World(HTW) was born

Ever since it’s inception .they have gone on to add Empowerment Beads, and other leather accessories to their product range. They have been featured on CNN, DSTV, etc and won Best Young Fashion Company in Ghana in 2012 and were awarded by the President of Ghana. They are members of the World Economic Forum and African Leadership Network.”

5.
Company name: Lamudi
url: http://www.lamudi.com.gh

“Lamudi helps people find their ideal home, land and commercial property. Our goal is to empower consumers with the most thorough information on the market and bring them in direct contact with the agents. Our listings aim at providing you with as much information as possible and an in-depth insight on each property. Lamudi Ghana (www.lamudi.com.gh) is setting the standard for providing a user friendly, highly visual marketing platform for properties and land in Ghana. Lamudi Ghana already has over 400 properties listed on their website from individuals and the largest agencies and developers including Orel, Pelican Propertiesand Broll Ghana. Lamudi helps individuals find their perfect property and gives property owners an online presence. Well integrated with various social media platforms, individuals can save their favorite properties to their Lamudi accountsand send them to friends and family over email, Facebook, Twitterand Google+.

Lamudi aims help you find your perfect property. We allow you to get in touch with the agents, who have the direct mandate for the property straight from the owner, bringing greater efficiency to the Ghanaian real estate market.

As part of the Africa Internet Holding family – supported by RocketInternet, MTN and Millicom – we bring unrivalled expertise through our vast experience in establishing and running Africaâ€™s best online ventures. Locally, in Ghana we have successfully launched Kaymu, Hellofood, Easy Taxi, Carmudi and Jovago, employing over 300 people. Superior expertise and know-how of a multinational company, combined with acute understanding of the local market, we bring you the best online real estate marketplace in Ghana.”

6.
Company name: Jumia
url: www.jumia.com.gh

“Jumia – Africa’s biggest online shop for Fashion, Electronics, Home appliances and more. Jumia is your one-stop online shop for all your Fashion and High-Tech needs. We offer a wide selection of products including Men & Women’s Fashion, Mobile Phones, Computers, Electronics, Home Appliances and many more, bringing them right to your doorstep. Jumia is available in Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and Ivory Coast.

We offer you a wide selection of styles and brands, 100% convenience with our 24/7 online access from your home or office, secure payment such as Bank Deposit/Online banking and Cash on Delivery, exceptional customer care service, fast next-day delivery and returns after 7 days.”

7.
Company name: OLX
url: www.olx.com.gh

“OLX is the world’s leading classifieds platform focused on emerging markets, both mobile and online. OLX is the next generation of free online classifieds. They act as a venue to allow our users who comply with these Terms to offer, sell, and buy products and services listed on the Website. Although you may be able to conduct payment and other transactions through the Website, using third-party vendors such as PayPal, OLX is not in any way in involved in such transactions.”

8.
Company name: Baahe.com
url: http://baahe.com

“Baahe.com is the subsidiary store to Kaizen Global Consult which specializes in the sales of high quality and affordable electronic devices as well as sales consultancy.

We at Baahe.com (Kaizen Sales Consult) are dedicated to serving you very well in the comfort of your offices and homes by our payment on delivery policy. Please call for any product of your choice and it will be delivered within a matter of days.”

9.
Company name: Tisu
url: http://www.tisu.com.gh

“Tisu is a local daily deals and discounts website for the very best that Accra has to offer. We give you an easy & fun way to get huge discounts while discovering new places all across the city. With new deals every 24 hours on restaurants, spas, travel, entertainment & electronics, you can now discover valuable local experiences at an unbeatable price

We understand the importance of employees and our clientele. Our sales team work hard getting our valued customers the best deals in town. Our customer service department will address any concerns in a swift manner.

Ringier Ghana is the parent company of Tisu. Ringier is a Swiss multimedia organization with offices in 13 countries around the world.”

10.
Company name: Zoobashop.com
url: Zoobashop.com

“Zoobashop.com is a Ghanaian-owned online retail store that offers an extensive variety of electronics, home appliances, items of fashion etc., at awesome prices. We currently, deliver to all addresses in Accra and Tema, and expect to expand our deliveries’ coverage in the not too distant future. We allow several modes of payment, from the conventional cash-on-delivery to online credit/debit card payments, so paying for the things you buy is easy and convenient.”

11.
Company name: Souq Afrique
url: http://store.souqafrique.com

“Souq Afrique is a company that celebrates African creativity. We stock products that are made in Africa or inspired by Africa. Our goal is to be the one-stop-shop for Afro-centric goods not only within the continent, but also internationally.

We strive for professionalism, hard-work and dedication in all our endeavors in the hopes of being an example of the success that can be achieved when Africa is inspired. We are on the Westlands Road, that is the first right turn after GIMPA when heading towards Achimota. You will see the El-Clan Restaurant and Washing Bay (with flags in front of it); immediately after that you will find the Ed-Joe Pharmacy. We are on top of the Pharmacy.”

12.
Company name: Kaymu
url: http://www.kaymu.com.gh

“Kaymu is the #1 online shopping community in Ghana. We connect buyers and sellers, but do not have any inventory of our own.

Our founders believe that the internet can break economic barriers and change the way business is done. Therefore, we want to bring e-commerce into the lives of Africans, to empower local entrepreneurs by helping them take their business online and to make shopping easy and accessible to everyone.

Kaymu was launched in December 2012 by Africa Internet Group, the e-commerce pioneer in Africa and it is backed by Millicom, MTN and Rocket Internet. The company has spread to over 32 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe today with new countries being launched every month.”

13.
Company name: Ahonya.com
url: http://ahonya.com

“We help people discover and buy quality products at amazing prices. We do this by putting the customer at the core of whatever we do. Whiles other are thinking about increasing prices, we think about reducing them.

We want to make quality goods available to all in Ghana, no matter which town or city you live in. We are a team of highly dedicated individuals who share two things: a passion for problem-solving and a commitment to excellence.

We’ve come a long way. It all started when were still in college and wanted the convenience of buying online. We couldn’t find any site we could trust to buy from. So we decided to solve this problem for the countless people in Ghana who want to buy online.

Ahonya founded by Gerard Yitamkey, Philip Adzanoukpe and Addo Mensah. Ahonya is a twi word which means “wealth” or “affluence”. Since our college days, giving superior customer service and selling high quality products has been our mantra. The service garnered the confidence of Ghanaian internet users and has grown to this stage.

Today, Ahonya has enabled thousands of Ghanaians to buy high quality products sitting at the comfort of their homes. Delivery is free for all items, and we mean free.”

14.
Company name: Ghanacar24.com
url: Ghanacar24.com

“Ghanacar24.com is an internet page where private sellers and dealers can list their cars for sale for free. Here each can find a proper vehicle according to his needs. Search for a car by a lot of criteria- price, year, color, mileage, power and more. Be sure you will find the right car for the right price.

Our mission: To create biggest online car marketplace where buyers and sellers can meet each other.

Our aim: To help people and dealers quickly sell their car and for the buyers to offer a great range of vehicles and comfortable search.”

15.
Company name: Cheki Ghana
url: http://www.cheki.com.gh

Established in 2010, http://www.cheki.com.gh is Ghana’s #1 Auto website with more car buyers and car sellers than any other site in Ghana.

“Cheki.com.gh is an online marketplace where all of Ghana’s leading car dealers, importers and private sellers post their cars for sale in Ghana. We do not sell cars directly but rather offer a state of the art advertising medium for users to buy and sell their cars, 4WDs, vans, bikes and trucks and other vehicles.

We also offer a one stop destination for all buyers of Japanese import cars to Ghana, by centrally hosting all the cars of many leading Japanese car dealers and importers to Ghana.”

16.
Company name: Shopadollar
url: http://www.shopadollar.com

“Shopadollar is a reputable company that deals with top computer brands such as Hewlett Packard (HP), Toshiba, Asus, Sony, Dell, MSI, Gateway and, MSI Computer Notebooks, Laptops and Desktop PCs. Other Consumer Electronic brands include Apple Computers and Accessories, IBM (Lenovo), Boss Electronics, Cisco, Linksys, Targus, LG, Philips, Samsung Electrics, and many more.”

17.
Company name: Kpone Lobster Export Co. Ltd
url: http://www.kpone-lobster.com

“Kpone Lobster Export Co. Ltd. was founded in December 1987 under the registration number 33820. After completion of the building, operation started in October 1988. The factory is situated at the Kpone Agro Industrial Area, close to the Tema fish harbor.

The first directors of the company were Mr. Vanni Zarbo, the late Mr. Major Brown and Madame Matilda Tutuwah. In December 2007, the management of the company was handed over to Mr. Markus Oberholzer.

Activities: Our core business is the export of fresh & frozen fish and lobsters, with Europe being the main target market.

Mission: Kpone Lobster Export Co. Ltd. provides their customers with the best quality wild catch seafood from Ghana.

We aim to be the leading exporter of wild catch seafood in Ghana and want to maintain a very high market share in Europe. Our strength lies in providing the best quality products at very competitive prices.”

18.
Company name: Hellofood
url: http://www.hellofood.com.gh

Mission: The Best Restaurants, Delivering to You
HelloFood – Ghana’s No. 1 Online Food Delivery Platform. Order from 100+ restaurants from the comfort of your homes and offices!

Backed by online veterans Rocket Internet, Hellofood has sister operations around the globe. Headquartered in Lagos, our team will soon be expanding to other cities in Ghana, and to the rest of Africa.

19.
Company name: VIVIA
url: VIVIA.com.gh

“VIVIA.com.gh is an aggregated online shopping site that offers various global and local brands of fashion & lifestyle products.

By bringing top international fashion brands into the Ghanaian market and exposing the best local brands, VIVIA aims to become Ghana’s premium online fashion site and “first to mind” when customers think of shopping for quality, reasonably priced fashion and lifestyle accessories.

Our clothing suppliers are carefully selected and we can guarantee that only the original products of each manufacturer are sold on VIVIA.com.gh. We provide premium products with an online shopping experience on par with global e-commerce standards, backed by a similarly high level of customer service.

We will go to great lengths to ensure that we keep you a happy, satisfied customer. We believe a premium wardrobe is for everyone and we are here to help you satisfy your unique sense of style and in a cost effective way. ViVIA.com.gh – Premium Lifestyle!”

20.
Company name: Dziffa.com
url: www.dziffa.com

“Dziffa means, “It Brings Me Peace” in the Ewe language. We strive to bring you peace by offering you the best handmade products in Ghana and to bring our local manufacturers peace by increasing their consumer base.

The Problem: Dziffa Is An ECommerce Website That Connects Local And International Customers Seeking Authentic Products From West Africa To Manufacturers In Ghana. We Have Eight Manufacturing Partners And Over 90 Products From Broad Categories. We Work With The Best Manufacturers In Ghana To Bring Global Consumers The Best Products The Country Has To Offer. By Increasing Global Purchase Of Finished Goods From Ghana, We Equip Small Businesses In Ghana With The Resources To Expand, Employ The Nation’s Youth, And Transform The Nation’s Current Import-Dependent Status Of A Production Driven One.”

References:
http://www.edwardtagoe.com/blog/2015/03/22/e-commerce-in-ghana-where-are-we/

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/directory/cat12.html

http://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/GH/ecommerce-platforms-supplier.html

http://www.ghanayello.com/companies/E_commerce

http://www.modernghana.com/news/11241/1/survey-ghana-electronic-business-slow-off-the-mark.html

http://www.alibaba.com/countrysearch/GH/ecommerce-supplier.html

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/telephone_directory/companydetails.php?CN=100912

http://www.ghipss.net/About-Us/overview.html

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/economics/ghipss-to-launch-online-payment-gateway-93257

http://www.bog.gov.gh/privatecontent/Banking/Payment%20Systems%20in%20Ghana.pdf

https://agenda.weforum.org/2015/08/how-e-commerce-is-booming-in-africa/

http://unctad.org/meetings/en/Presentation/CII_EM5_P_AAntwi-Boasiako_en.pdf