Introduction
Social commerce is on the rise in Africa, driven by the increasing adoption of digital media among businesses and micro-entrepreneurs. Platforms like WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram are becoming essential tools for online presence and customer engagement. However, despite these opportunities, the end-to-end buying experience often falls short due to limitations in payment and delivery processes. This is where emerging social commerce startups, such as Sukhiba Connect, come into play.
Sukhiba: A Conversational Commerce Pioneer
Sukhiba has developed a B2B conversational commerce tool that enables businesses to connect with their customers through Meta’s messaging app, WhatsApp. The platform offers sellers the ability to manage orders, accept local payment methods like mobile money services (M-Pesa), send notifications, and group customers. Buyers can browse product catalogs, add/remove products to carts, and even check out without leaving WhatsApp.
"We have brought to WhatsApp the ability to do the entire transaction from conversation, purchase, and payments to delivery," said Ananth Gudipati, co-founder and CEO of Sukhiba.
Success Story: Enabling B2B Commerce for Over 30 Companies
Sukhiba has successfully enabled WhatsApp commerce for more than 30 companies, including major manufacturers and distributors serving close to 15,000 micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Gudipati notes that manufacturers use Sukhiba to help their sales teams expand their reach and gain new customers. The platform also features routing capabilities, which enable manufacturers to group customers according to routes, assigned to sales persons for tailored in-app support.
"African customers order via trust, and trust is often built with relationships. Salespeople have that relationship with retailers, and we are not trying to replace it," said Gudipati. "That’s why routing the chat was a very essential innovation for us."
Expanding Beyond Kenya: $1.5 Million Seed Funding
Sukhiba is now set to expand beyond Kenya, backed by $1.5 million seed funding secured in a round led by CRE Ventures, with participation from Antler, EQ2 Ventures, Goodwater Capital, Chandaria Capital, and several angel investors.
WhatsApp Penetration in Africa: A Golden Opportunity
Kenya is among the top countries for WhatsApp penetration in Africa. According to a recent survey, 83% of online adults in Kenya use WhatsApp as their primary messaging app. This widespread adoption presents a golden opportunity for businesses to leverage social commerce platforms like Sukhiba.
Industry Insights: Trends and Challenges
The social commerce market in Africa is rapidly growing, driven by the increasing adoption of digital media among consumers. However, several challenges persist, including:
- Limited payment infrastructure
- Inconsistent delivery processes
- Lack of digital literacy among small businesses
Conclusion
Sukhiba’s success story serves as a testament to the potential of social commerce in Africa. As more startups emerge to address the gaps in this market, it will be exciting to see how they shape the future of e-commerce on the continent.
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