Francis Dufay on e-commerce
From How to Scale Across with Africa with the CEO of Jumia: Francis Dufay · · GlobalInnovatorsinBusiness
“Africa is the last frontier for e-commerce; that's the kind of opportunity you get once in a lifetime if you care about retail. The last continent on Earth where you can make radical changes to the way people shop and use the internet.”
On , Francis Dufay, Former CEO at Jumia, spoke about e-commerce during How to Scale Across with Africa with the CEO of Jumia: Francis Dufay on GlobalInnovatorsinBusiness.
About Francis Dufay
Francis Dufay, CEO of Jumia, has been discussing the company’s turnaround and path to profitability in several recent media appearances. He stated that Jumia raised and spent too much money in the past, but described the company as now targeting profitability by the end of 2026. Dufay said the company has shifted its strategy away from heavy spending on marketing platforms like Google and Meta, instead focusing on a strong value proposition for price-conscious consumers. He noted that Jumia operates in eight African markets and described the company as having a clear head start and massive upside potential, comparing it to Shopee 20 years ago. Dufay has also addressed perceptions of risk in African markets, arguing that the perceived risk level is highly exaggerated. He stated that currencies have stabilized after a tough period between 2021 and 2024, and that political risk is extremely limited in Jumia’s markets. He cited Nigeria’s reforms under President Tinubu, including currency stabilization and the new Dangote refinery, as improving the business environment. Dufay said that achieving profitability would help legitimize the tech industry across the continent in the eyes of foreign investors.
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