firstpost_logo

Firstpost

title

About Firstpost

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

Youtube

social_link

footer_headings

copy_right_year

static_pages

sticky_footer

taboolaFooter

youtube_links

footer_latest_news

search

Global retail giants like Amazon and Walmart have no physical presence in much of Africa, leaving millions of shoppers facing major shipping roadblocks. Without formal street addresses or traditional bank cards, buying online seemed impossible—until now. A growing network of package-forwarding startups is bypassing these traditional infrastructure gaps entirely.  By providing customers with virtual shipping addresses in foreign warehouses, companies like Senegal’s Afrety consolidate packages to ship them directly to West Africa by air and sea. Local drivers then utilise GPS to navigate neighbourhoods for doorstep deliveries. To resolve the banking gap, customers use local cash at street kiosks to fund digital mobile money wallets, seamlessly paying these forwarders. From local startups to multinational logistics giants, this tech-driven bridge is proving that consumer demand will always find a way. Alyson Le Grange brings you more on this story on Firstpost Africa.

Inside Africa's Hidden Shopping Pipeline

https://media.nw18.com/media-assets/wbx6pq/a0b096e1-0c6e-44f2-a0fa-9add1c4b8cb6/wbx6pq/07-2026/15-2026/2026-JULY-1507-1507-AFRICAN-SHOPPERS-HIDDEN-PIPELINE_SHORTS-KKYWqAek4p-1507-AFRICAN-SHOPPERS-HIDDEN-PIPELINESHORTS-MBlZ9EWg6i/1080highp-h264.mp4