• Targets 60,000 sellers, 1,800 direct jobs, 100,000 sales agents
• Funding to strengthen digital payments across 8 African markets
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja and Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, has announced a $25 million equity investment in Jumia Technologies AG to support the expansion of digital commerce infrastructure across Africa.
The investment, announced yesterday, is expected to help approximately 60,000 local annual active sellers reach broader markets, support about 1,800 direct jobs and create income-generating opportunities for more than 100,000 independent sales agents.
According to the IFC, the investment would support Jumia’s next phase of growth across its core African markets by strengthening its integrated online marketplace and logistics network.
The World Bank Group said the investment comes as digital commerce becomes increasingly important to entrepreneurs and small businesses seeking to expand beyond their local markets.
It noted that reliable access to online marketplaces, logistics networks and digital payment systems could enable businesses to increase sales, improve productivity and connect consumers with a wider range of affordable goods and services.
“The support of the World Bank Group is a milestone for Jumia and for African e-commerce more broadly. It validates both the discipline we have brought to our business in recent years and the tangible impact our platform has on small businesses, jobs, and consumers across our eight markets,” Jumia Chief Executive Officer, Francis Dufay, said.
“With partners like the IFC, we can accelerate the digital commerce infrastructure Africa needs,” he added.
The IFC’s Director for Equity, Funds and Venture Capital, Farid Fezoua, said the investment demonstrated the potential of pan-African e-commerce platforms to expand economic opportunities at scale.
“Jumia demonstrates how pan-African e-commerce platforms can expand economic opportunity at scale. Our investment supports the company’s next phase of growth while contributing to creating jobs, digitising supply chains and distribution channels and mobilising private investment,” Fezoua said.
The World Bank Group said expanding access to digital commerce tools and services would help businesses grow, improve price transparency and contribute to more inclusive and resilient private sector development across the continent.
Jumia currently operates in eight African countries and provides an integrated platform comprising an online marketplace, logistics network and payment gateways.
The marketplace connects more than 60,000 sellers with customers, while its logistics network facilitates the shipment and delivery of products from sellers to consumers.
The company also works with licensed payment service providers and other partners to facilitate transactions on its platform in selected markets.
The IFC said its investment was part of efforts to use private-sector solutions and mobilise private capital to create markets and economic opportunities in developing countries.
The corporation said it committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries in its 2025 financial year.
The investment in Jumia therefore places digital commerce infrastructure alongside other areas in which development finance is seeking to strengthen private-sector activity, particularly for smaller businesses that may otherwise face barriers to accessing wider markets.