Recently, Temu, the overseas version of Pinduoduo, has become popular in Nigeria.

You might not have expected that this platform, famous in China for its "group buying and low prices," is also thriving in the African market.

According to a survey, more than 80% of Nigerian consumers feel that Temu's products are both cheap and practical, and nearly half say that shopping on Temu saves them more than half of their budget.

Recognized by over 80% of consumers. Image source: ebusinesslife

It’s worth noting that Temu has only been in Nigeria for three months, and achieving such results is indeed a bit surprising.

How did Temu do it? Actually, it's quite simple: "full of sincerity."

As soon as Temu entered the Nigerian market, it launched various exclusive promotions, such as free shipping within 24 hours, 90-day no-questions-asked returns, and discounts of up to 33,000 naira. These policies directly address consumers' pain points—who doesn't want to buy cheap and reliable products? In addition, Temu offers a wide variety of goods, from household items to electronics, so consumers are naturally willing to make purchases.

Temu Nigeria homepage

Of course, Temu's rapid foothold in Nigeria is also thanks to the "support" of the local market. Nigeria is one of Africa's largest economies, with huge potential in the e-commerce sector.

Data shows that Nigeria's e-commerce market ranks fourth in Africa, with a market size close to $2 billion. Although it's not large compared to Asia or Europe and America, the growth potential is considerable. Moreover, Nigeria's internet penetration rate is rapidly increasing, and more and more young people are getting used to online shopping. This market environment has given Temu an excellent opportunity.

Nigeria's e-commerce has great potential. Image source: ecommercedb

In fact, Temu's success is just a microcosm of the African e-commerce market. Although Africa's e-commerce market started late, its growth rate is astonishing. In 2024, the total e-commerce revenue in Africa has reached $55 billion. Although this is nowhere near the trillion-dollar levels of Asia, Europe, and America, its annual compound growth rate is far ahead. It is expected that by 2029, Africa's e-commerce market size will exceed $110 billion, with a growth rate of over 14%. Such growth speed is rarely seen globally.

Africa's e-commerce revenue reaches $55 billion in 2024. Image source: AMZ123

Seeing such opportunities, major e-commerce giants certainly won't miss out. As early as 2023, Amazon announced its entry into the South African market, and finally launched last year. Although things didn't go smoothly at first, Amazon didn't give up; instead, it increased its investment, launching Prime membership services and the local market Shop Mzansi. Besides Amazon, platforms like SHEIN, TikTok, and AliExpress are also expanding in Africa. It can be said that Africa's e-commerce market has become a "battleground" for the giants.

Amazon enters South Africa. Image source: incubeta

Why is the African market so attractive? There are three main reasons:

1. Africa has a very young population structure, with an average age of only about 20, offering huge consumption potential.

2. Africa's internet penetration rate is rapidly increasing, especially mobile internet, allowing more and more people to access e-commerce platforms.

3. Consumption demand in Africa is upgrading, shifting from traditional offline shopping to online shopping, which brings huge opportunities for e-commerce platforms.

Image source: TechCabal

However, the African market is not an easy "bone" to chew.

Logistics, payment, and cultural differences are all challenges that e-commerce platforms need to face. For example, Africa's logistics infrastructure is relatively underdeveloped, and delivery efficiency is low in many areas; payment methods are diverse, with some places preferring cash and others relying more on mobile payments. In addition, Africa's cultural diversity is very strong, and consumer habits vary greatly between countries, so platforms need to work hard on localized operations.

The story of Africa's e-commerce market has just begun, and no one can say for sure what the future holds.

But one thing is certain: this vibrant land is becoming the new battleground for global e-commerce.