Clarity Case Studies Revolutionizing B2B Trade in Africa: A Case Study on goAfrica

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	Revolutionizing B2B Trade in Africa: A Case Study on goAfrica Clarity

Revolutionizing B2B Trade in Africa: A Case Study on goAfrica

Clarity

Technology Category	Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms Robots - Wheeled Robots
Applicable Industries	Electronics Transportation
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation Procurement
Use Cases	Last Mile Delivery Transportation Simulation
Services	System Integration
Challenge	goAfrica, a B2B marketplace aimed at facilitating trade within Africa, faced significant challenges in its quest to become the Alibaba.com of Africa. The founders, despite their extensive experience in Africa, were unsure of how to create a global marketplace that could accommodate multiple languages and currencies. They also faced the daunting task of securely handling potentially massive payments. For instance, if a Kenyan buyer wanted to purchase a $500,000 combine from Komatsu in Japan, how could they ensure that the order would be paid for and shipped as expected? The founders needed a solution that would not only provide a secure payment system but also allow for easy communication between buyers and suppliers, real-time currency conversion, and a platform for suppliers to showcase their products. Read More
About Customer	goAfrica is a B2B marketplace that aims to facilitate trade within Africa. The platform is designed to be easy to use, with market-leading B2B functionalities designed for mobile access. It offers a wide selection of in-demand products, including mobile phones, electronics, beauty products, and clothing, sourced directly from leading suppliers, predominantly based in China. goAfrica also provides a Request for Quote (RFQ) function, efficient logistics partnerships for cross-border delivery, and verification and inspection solutions to ensure safe trading. The company has developed strong global logistics, bank, and technology strategic partners to reinforce customer access, advanced functionality, and competitive positioning. Read More
Solution	Clarity eCommerce provided a comprehensive solution to goAfrica's challenges. They first integrated the platform with Payoneer, which provided an escrow account for global transfers. This ensured that payments were securely held until the goods were delivered, thus protecting both the buyer and the supplier. Clarity also added multistore and multilingual modules, allowing each supplier to set up their own store, upload products, set pricing, and add images and descriptions. A live chat interface was also included to facilitate communication between buyers and suppliers. To handle the issue of multiple currencies, a third-party API was integrated to provide real-time currency conversion rates. Clarity also added a business directory to help showcase the companies involved in the marketplace. Finally, Clarity implemented Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), allowing goAfrica to integrate their own WordPress front-end marketing website, which could display the .NET menu, featured products, and more. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms

Robots - Wheeled Robots

Applicable Industries

Electronics

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Procurement

Use Cases

Last Mile Delivery

Transportation Simulation

Services

System Integration

Challenge

goAfrica, a B2B marketplace aimed at facilitating trade within Africa, faced significant challenges in its quest to become the Alibaba.com of Africa. The founders, despite their extensive experience in Africa, were unsure of how to create a global marketplace that could accommodate multiple languages and currencies. They also faced the daunting task of securely handling potentially massive payments. For instance, if a Kenyan buyer wanted to purchase a $500,000 combine from Komatsu in Japan, how could they ensure that the order would be paid for and shipped as expected? The founders needed a solution that would not only provide a secure payment system but also allow for easy communication between buyers and suppliers, real-time currency conversion, and a platform for suppliers to showcase their products.

About Customer

goAfrica is a B2B marketplace that aims to facilitate trade within Africa. The platform is designed to be easy to use, with market-leading B2B functionalities designed for mobile access. It offers a wide selection of in-demand products, including mobile phones, electronics, beauty products, and clothing, sourced directly from leading suppliers, predominantly based in China. goAfrica also provides a Request for Quote (RFQ) function, efficient logistics partnerships for cross-border delivery, and verification and inspection solutions to ensure safe trading. The company has developed strong global logistics, bank, and technology strategic partners to reinforce customer access, advanced functionality, and competitive positioning.

Solution

Clarity eCommerce provided a comprehensive solution to goAfrica's challenges. They first integrated the platform with Payoneer, which provided an escrow account for global transfers. This ensured that payments were securely held until the goods were delivered, thus protecting both the buyer and the supplier. Clarity also added multistore and multilingual modules, allowing each supplier to set up their own store, upload products, set pricing, and add images and descriptions. A live chat interface was also included to facilitate communication between buyers and suppliers. To handle the issue of multiple currencies, a third-party API was integrated to provide real-time currency conversion rates. Clarity also added a business directory to help showcase the companies involved in the marketplace. Finally, Clarity implemented Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS), allowing goAfrica to integrate their own WordPress front-end marketing website, which could display the .NET menu, featured products, and more.

Impact #1	The solutions implemented by Clarity eCommerce have significantly improved the operational efficiency and global reach of goAfrica. The integration with Payoneer has ensured secure global transfers, providing peace of mind for both buyers and suppliers. The multistore and multilingual modules have made it easier for suppliers to showcase their products and for buyers to find what they need. The live chat interface has improved communication between buyers and suppliers, leading to more successful transactions. The real-time currency conversion has eliminated confusion over pricing and made transactions smoother. Finally, the implementation of CORS has allowed goAfrica to integrate their own marketing website, further enhancing their online presence and reach.

Impact #1

The solutions implemented by Clarity eCommerce have significantly improved the operational efficiency and global reach of goAfrica. The integration with Payoneer has ensured secure global transfers, providing peace of mind for both buyers and suppliers. The multistore and multilingual modules have made it easier for suppliers to showcase their products and for buyers to find what they need. The live chat interface has improved communication between buyers and suppliers, leading to more successful transactions. The real-time currency conversion has eliminated confusion over pricing and made transactions smoother. Finally, the implementation of CORS has allowed goAfrica to integrate their own marketing website, further enhancing their online presence and reach.

Benefit #1	After just a few months in production, there were already more than 270,000 products and goods being sold on the platform.
Benefit #2	The founders successfully sold the company to international investors due to its success.
Benefit #3	The platform now supports multiple languages and currencies, expanding its reach to a global audience.

Benefit #1

After just a few months in production, there were already more than 270,000 products and goods being sold on the platform.

Benefit #2

The founders successfully sold the company to international investors due to its success.

Benefit #3

The platform now supports multiple languages and currencies, expanding its reach to a global audience.

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Overview

Revolutionizing B2B Trade in Africa: A Case Study on goAfrica

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit