ABOUT MARKETPLACE AFRICA
MarketPlaceAFRICA.com was created to take the complexity and uncertainty out of buying
direct from craftspeople and small enterprises. With the patented technology of an award-
winning global e-commerce retailer, our platform, app, and payment system allows online
consumers to shop directly from African small businesses, select from familiar payment
methods, and have the products shipped to their home with confidence that their payment is
secure.
We are a global team, based in Africa, USA, and Europe, passionate about fostering the
success of small African enterprises by bringing their work and creative genius to all corners of
the world through an easy-to-use e-commerce platform. Buying from MarketPlaceAFRICA.com
offers a direct connection to generate sustainable growth for African small enterprises.
If you carry a passion for anything African Made, join us to celebrate, enjoy and share the
traditions you love and exciting new trends. If the richness and quality of products from Africa
are new to you, welcome! We invite you to explore the diversity, the complex culture, and the
stunning beauty of all that African entrepreneurs have to offer the world.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
- When you register and sell your high quality, authentic African products on MarketPlaceAFRICA.com, you gain multiple advantages:
- Global exposure and market presence
- Award-winning technology maintained by our experienced IT team to support your sales efforts
- Control of your brand supported by our promotions in the US and UK
- Secure and seamless financial transactions with customers around the world
- Logistics support from DHL to quickly deliver your product to your customers’ doorsteps
- Customer service support on your company’s behalf
- Our goal is to make getting your business onto a global e-commerce marketplace as simple as possible. You will need internet access to type in your own company description and to upload product photographs. If you have never written the story of your business, take some time to do this. What makes your business special? Ask someone else to read your description before you post it. You’ll also want to take beautiful, clear photographs that demonstrate the quality of your product, and you’ll need to provide very accurate details that describe all of the qualities of your product.
- To help the business succeed, we’ve created a step-by-step manual to walk you through each step of registration and uploading an individual product. We send this to you when your registration is complete, but we can send it to you anytime you like. If you have further questions, reach out to us at seller@marketplaceafrica.com.
- There is no cost to register your business or to upload your products so that customers can see and buy them. Our mission is to promote African made products to as wide an audience as possible in a manner that helps grow stronger African enterprises.
- The seller controls the price of the product. As a seller, when you add a new item to your storefront you set the price that you want to receive for the product. MarketPlaceAFRICA adds a 10% commission to reach the total retail price that the customer sees.
- On MarketPlaceAFRICA.com must meet these criteria to register their business:
- All product on MarketPlaceAFRICA.com must be made in Africa
- Product must be of consistently high quality
- Both product and how the business operates must meet the African Made
- Products Standards (learn about AMPS here)
- You must agree to our Terms of Use for the website and app
- You must be 18 years or older to register on MarketPlaceAFRICA.com
- There is no cost of featuring your product on MarketPlaceAFRICA until your product sells. When your product is purchased, the customer pays for the product and for shipping. MarketPlace AFRICA collects a 10% commission based on the price you submitted for the product. You receive the price you indicated when you listed the product.
- There are no additional fees. MarketPlace AFRICA will offer opportunities for merchants to take advantage of additional marketing and promotion events. These are always optional and you will never be charged for any promotional activity unless you elect to participate.
- There is no limit to the number of products you can feature on your storefront page with MarketPlaceAFRICA.com as long as they meet high product quality standards.
PRODUCT STANDARD
The categories of products sold on Marketplace Africa:
- Clothing – Women, Men & Children Fashion and Footwear
- Bags and Purses
- Jewellery and Accessories
- Body Care
- Gifts, Leather Craft & Musical Instruments
Meeting global market expectations for quality and building customer confidence is essential to African SMEs’ success. Sellers with MarketPlaceAFRICA.com agree to participate in the African Made Products Standards (AMPS).
Ongoing education and documentation process is used to keep standards in the conversation
and to assess outcomes.
AMPS are based on generally accepted international workplace principles and call for the
following:
- Product quality
- Transparency about materials and production process
- No child labour
- No forced labour or exploitation
- Prompt payment & wages that meet local regulations
- A workplace free of harassment and abuse
- Healthy and safe workplace
When listing an item, you agree to comply with Mall for Africa's rules for listing and that:
- You are responsible for the accuracy and content of the listing and item offered.
- Ensure that images are created by yourself and are of a minimum resolution quality of 512 x 512 product image thumbnail and 1024 x 1024 (at 721 dpi) for mouse hover zoom.
- Ensure that the product titles are clear to buyers. Be sure to state the brand name associated with the item, quantity available for sale, type and use of the item and whether the item is brand new or previously owned.
- Your listing may not be immediately searchable by keyword or category for several hours (or up to 24 hours in some circumstances). Mall for Africa cannot guarantee exact listing durations.
- Merchants are to select a category that matches the item for sale
- Ensure there is readily available stock of items of at least 10 pieces per SKU at any given time for ready delivery.
- Items can be listed with specific brand names if they are authenticated brands or duly trademarked to the brand.
- Celebrity names may be included in listing where the listing is endorsed or owned by the Celebrity
- Ensure there is an instant re-stock once a low stock notification is given in respect of any of the listed items uploaded by the merchant.
- Content that violates any of MarketplaceAFRICA’s policies WILL be deleted at Mall for Africa's discretion.