The classifieds industry is a force that no investor can afford to ignore. Brands in Africa have moved from the traditional ways of operating by modifying their activities and reaching more buyers through online classifieds. Classifieds are not at a level where they can replace retail stores, but they work as a support system for retailers to help grow their sales.
Types of sellers
- Those that start out as an online business and grow until the business eventually opens a retail store.
- Those who open up an online business and trust the system completely. They solely focus on selling their products or services online without ever getting retail space.
- Finally, the old lot who have had a retail outlet for years but due to technological changes and advancements in online markets, have opted to move into online advertising.
In the current market, the overarching trend is having an online presence which is seen to give added value. To support this shift, we provide sellers with a platform where they can explore new markets for their goods and services without limitations of time, space or location. We provide online marketplaces for their items and at the same time assure the buyers they are getting quality products from trusted sellers and at competitive prices. This goes to the heart of our vision “Connecting Africans to Opportunities” We provide a transparent platform whether buyers and sellers can meet to transact; helping our sellers supplement or earn a living through our platforms and providing buyers with options.
Classifieds are on a steady growth path making them not just useful but also an integral part of any business model. Our approach at ROAM is to create a custom made platform for Africa and its unique markets while understanding the complexity that comes with each distinct market in the countries that we have a footprint.
The growth of internet penetration in Africa creates an opportunity to thrive not only in the online classifieds market but E-Commerce in general. It is exciting to discover the potential in African markets and to realize that we have barely scratched the surface. At ROAM, we are looking forward to seeing this potential grow and being an integral part of the ecosystem
