?E-commerce digital platforms like Jumia are at the forefront of providing the informal sector and SMEs solutions to keep running and reaching customers during the COVID-19 crisis,? Mr. Kawamara commented.
?We are very excited to partner with UNDP and offer our platform, delivery tools, training and experience to market vendors to access consumers in need of fresh produce and for consumers to be able to access the produce safely,? he added.
Market vendors welcome the offer
The market vendors have warmly received the digital offer, saying it will sustain and expand their businesses. Bosco Kitone, one of the market vendors in Nakasero market, said, ?Technology is really going to help us. People don?t have to come to us; they order for goods online and we deliver. So, we are really happy with this initiative.?
Joyce Kisaakye, a trader specialising in fruits, said that faced with lockdown measures like the stay-at-home guidelines that have been instituted to suppress further spread of the disease, the offer will keep informal sector players like her in business. She used the occasion to ask people to eat plenty of fruits which are some of the food items recommended to boost people?s immunity.
Key to the growth of e-commerce is accessibility and affordability of internet. The Executive Director of the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) James Saaka revealed that said that government is doing all it takes to lower the cost of internet in Uganda.
How it works
The model employs market agents who validate the goods and services before they are dispatched. The agents ascertain that the goods meet the requisite quality, are hygienic and securely packaged to ensure customer satisfaction and safety. Jumia will use its infrastructure, which includes riders trained to provide safe and contactless deliveries, to reach customers who are currently under lockdown. Consumers will have an option of giving feedback on the level of satisfaction of both the product and the service through the Jumia Vendor App.
For media inquiries, please contact:
- Michael Mubangizi, Communications Analyst, UNDP Uganda.
Email: [emailprotected], Tel: 0772 147564
2. Samantha Abaho, PR Manager, Jumia Uganda,
Email: [emailprotected], Tel: 0776 448941