Nairobi, Kenya – September 22, 2023
eCommerce Day Africa 2023, an event dedicated to advancing digital commerce across Africa, took place in Nairobi, Kenya, and achieved remarkable outcomes. This first edition of eCommerce Day in Africa was made possible by the eCommerce Institute with the support of USAID, the Alliance for eTrade Development (“eTrade Alliance”), and the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya (AmCham). This inaugural event was significant for the continent’s digital landscape, it allowed participants to gain insights into the latest trends and case studies in e-commerce, access to leading experts in the global retail industry, and networking with key players and industry-leading companies.
eCommerce DAY is the first event in the region focused on the development of digital commerce and the professionalization of the eCommerce ecosystem. This event is part of the eCommerce Day World Tour (www.ecommerceday.org) a series that started in Latin America 15 years ago and has grown to a successful set of activities covering 18 countries up to now, gathering the most important players and companies in the digital commerce business.
Event Overview:
eCommerce Day Africa 2023 was scheduled for September 20-22, 2023. It featured a hybrid format, with online activities on September 20 and 22 and an in-person event on September 21 at the Emara Ole Sereni Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. The event was also live-streamed for wider accessibility across Africa.
Outstanding results:
- Over 1000 registrants: a mix of in-person and virtual attendees.
- 56 distinguished Speakers and Jury Members, digital commerce specialists, and leading experts in the global retail industry.
- 14+ Hours of On-Demand Training Content with insights into the latest trends and success case studies in e-commerce.
- 11 promissory eCommerce Startup Competition Finalists
- 110 eCommerce Awards Finalists: recognizing excellence to key players and industry-leading companies in Africa.
- Over 85,500 views on YouTube spreading the knowledge globally.
Agenda Highlights:
The event’s agenda included discussions on various critical topics, including:
- SMEs’ E-journey: Exploring the experiences of U.S. and African SMEs in cross-border ecommerce.
- Professional thematic workshop.
- Boosting intra-Africa trade for Marketplaces & SMEs’ online stores.
- Overview and Digital Commerce Opportunities.
- The evolving role of physical stores and the importance of the last mile in connecting online and offline consumers.
- The significance of data measurement in shaping KPIs, decision-making, and analysis.
- Creating a positive shopping experience across various touchpoints and sales channels: Unifying the customer’s journey.
- Status and Trends of Digital Commerce in Africa.
- Success Stories.
- eCommerce awards.
- Retail Trends 2023: Exploring New Concepts, Alternative Commerce, and the Metaverse
- Digital Commerce Pillars, Main Tools, and Strategies for eCommerce Development.
For a comprehensive overview of the event agenda, please visit: eCommerce Day Africa 2023 Agenda
Distinguished Speakers:
eCommerce Day Africa 2023 featured a lineup of notable speakers, including Tim Steel, CEO of Copia Global, Charles Ballard, CEO of JUMIA Kenya, Twahir Mohamed of MPost, Juliet Kennedy, founder & CEO of Greenspoon Kenya, and representatives from companies such as BrighterMonday, DHL, Visa, Google, Purpinks Gifts, MYDAWA, WapiPay, Dotsavvy, Dentsu, Kushite ICP Hub East Africa, Mastercard, BuyRentKenya & Pigiame.
Explore the profiles of our speakers at eCommerce Day Africa 2023 Speakers.
eCommerce Awards Africa:
During eCommerce DAY AFRICA, the eCommerce Institute announced the winning companies of the eCommerce Awards Africa 2023, the highest recognition granted to companies in the sector.
A select Jury of national and international experts and the audience decided with their vote among the finalists which are the most outstanding companies in the development and contribution to Electronic Commerce and Internet Business in Africa.
Below are the winners of each category:
- Travel & Tourism: Kenya Airways – www.kenya-airways.com
- Retail: Bash – https://bash.com/
- Entertainment and Media: MultiChoice – https://www.multichoice.com/
- Financial Services and Online Banking: WorldRemit – https://www.worldremit.com/en
- Fashion & Beauty: Shop Zetu – https://shopzetu.com/
- Services and Solutions for eCommerce: Copia Global – https://copiaglobal.com/
- Best eCommerce Agency : AJ Digital Agency – https://www.ajdigital.africa/
- Best MSME in eCommerce: MyDawa – https://mydawa.com/
- Best Mobile Initiative: Jumia Food – https://food.jumia.com
- eWomen: Google for Startups Accelerator Africa – https://blog.google/intl/en-africa/company-news/outreach-and-initiatives/google-for-startups-accelerator-africa-call-for-applications-for-women-founders/
- Triple Impact in the Digital Ecosystem: Greenspoon – https://greenspoon.co.ke
eCommerce Startup Competition:
eCommerce Startup Competition is a Global Initiative of the eCommerce Institute to promote digital ventures and provide support to global projects with the greatest development potential in the Digital Commerce and Internet Business ecosystem.
During eCommerce DAY Africa, a select jury evaluated the candidates and selected the BLEA Store http://theBLEA.com as the winner of the competition. In addition, 2 startups had special mentions: Beba-Beggie https://www.bebabeggie.com/ and BooksKenya https://bookskenya.com/
eCommerce DAY Africa 2024
For media inquiries or more information about next year’s event, please contact:
Email: eventos@ecommerce.institute
Website: https://ecommerceday.africa/
