E-commerce startup Made in Rwanda Online is proving the demand for locally produced goods and produce with its online marketplace for local sellers.
Launched in May, Made in Rwanda Online has over 50 vendors and almost 100 paying customers, and is already making nearly US$1,000 per month.
“Due to Africa’s geographical situation and logistics, having access to made in Africa products was a big challenge,” co-founder Alain Nkazamurego told Disrupt Africa.
“In the meantime, most Africans cannot afford the marketing costs on the international market,and there is no data available on production or a place to find information on product prices. Our platform brings this information together in one place to support sellers.”
Made in Rwanda Online is not just an e-commerce business, but also a data collection platform.
“We gather data from acquired vendors and manufactures, and collect information from our visitors, and arrange them per country, gender, and category,” Nkazamurego said.
“We request sellers, manufacturers and producers to give us their per annum production, and in which periods, quantity and quality. We intend to become an African Google for businesses. We will include in the platform features that will provide all this information upon subscription.”
The startup has until now been using its own funds, but is actively looking for investors. It has, however, signed the strategic partnership with local and international companies including DHL and Equity Bank.
Though Nkazamurego says usage has been steadily rising, Made in Rwanda Online is projecting further growth in the future.
“We are currently operating on the global market with made in Rwanda products. We have plans of expanding the website to also accommodate wholesalers, and we are actively trying to go into partnership with more shipping companies,” he said.
The next port of call is Guinea, where it has already signed a memorandum of understanding to launch a Made in Guinea platform.
“Our income comes from the commission we get from every product we sell, and from the adverts we post on our website and monthly catalogue,” said Nkazamurego.
