The deal allows ShipAfrica to plug into Unlimit’s payment network, giving customers access to a wide range of local and international payment options. 

The integration is already live in several countries. Users in Kenya can now complete transactions through Pesalink, M-Pesa, and Airtel Money. 

Tanzania has added M-Pesa, Airtel Money, and Mixx, while ShipAfrica customers in Nigeria can pay via bank transfers and cards. Major global card schemes will also be enabled in additional markets.

ShipAfrica’s platform connects African sellers and shoppers with overseas destinations and offers delivery services for individuals and businesses. The company expects the new payment channels to reduce failed transactions and improve access for users who rely on domestic payment systems. 

“Enabling cross-border operations is at the heart of Unlimit’s mission. By integrating Unlimit’s payment platform, we are enabling ShipAfrica to receive payments locally in the markets where our customers are most active. 

“This eliminates the friction of international payment processing, reduces transaction costs, and improves access for consumers who prefer local payment methods,” explains Walter Isoko, CEO, at ShipAfrica.

Unlimit, which launched in 2009, provides payment processing, banking-as-a-service, and other financial services to clients operating across different regions. The company has offices in 17 locations, including London, Singapore, and São Paulo, and employs more than 700 staff.

Africa’s online retail market continues to expand, with revenue expected to reach $61.78 billion by 2030. Rising demand for digital payments has pushed logistics and financial service providers to improve settlement times, reduce operating costs, and support local payment behaviour across borders.

“Unlimit is deeply committed to supporting the new chapter of Africa’s e-commerce growth. Our partnership with ShipAfrica helps businesses scale by giving their customers access to familiar, reliable payment experiences across borders. 

“Together, we’re reducing operational costs, avoiding settlement delays, improving cash flow, and enabling merchants to tap into the full potential of Africa’s fast-growing e-commerce economy,” adds Irene Skrynova, Chief Customer Officer at Unlimit.

Both Unlimit and ShipAfrica say the partnership is aimed at easing trade across regions and supporting businesses that need faster, simpler international transactions.

The company also trimmed its after-tax loss by 28% to $16.3 million, compared to $22.5 million in the same period last year.

According to the statement, Jumia’s operating loss fell to $16.5 million from $20.2 million, while loss before income tax also declined by 28% to $16.5 million.

Gross profit rose 11% year-on-year to $23.9 million, from $21.6 million. Adjusted EBITDA loss dropped by 17% to $13.6 million, from $16.3 million in Q2 2024.

However, net cash used in operating activities increased to $12.7 million, up from $8.4 million in the same quarter last year.

Key performance indicators for Jumia’s physical goods business showed strong improvements. Orders rose by 18% year-on-year, driven by better product assortment across major categories. 

Quarterly active customers grew by 13%, signalling improved customer retention. In Nigeria, orders increased by 25%, while Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) surged 36% year-on-year.

Commenting on the results, Francis Dufay, CEO of Jumia Group, said:

“Our second-quarter results demonstrate continued momentum in our core consumer business, with robust usage growth and strong engagement across markets. We believe year-over-year trends are reflecting the underlying strength of our platform. We also delivered a meaningful improvement in cash burn quarter-over-quarter, driven by growth and a positive impact from working capital.

“This reinforces our confidence in reaching our strategic goal to break even on a loss-before-income-tax basis in the fourth quarter of 2026 and achieving full-year profitability in 2027. Based on current trends, we are raising our full-year 2025 guidance and long-term profitability targets.”

Fulfilment expenses increased by 16% to $10.8 million from $9.3 million, while sales and advertising expenses declined by 6% to $4.2 million. Technology and content expenses edged up to $9.2 million from $8.7 million year-on-year.

Although Jumia previously operated at a loss year after year, the company is showing consistent progress towards profitability. The Q2 2025 loss of $16.3 million marks a significant improvement, aligning with its roadmap to achieve profitability by 2027.

By leveraging online platforms, SMEs can access global markets, reduce reliance on physical stores, and automate processes like order processing and payment. This allows them to compete more effectively, grow their customer base, and increase profitability.

Several e-commerce platforms are fueling SME growth in Africa. Prominent e-commerce platforms like Jumia, Konga, Jiji, and Kilimall have established a strong presence, while emerging platforms like Bumpa, SokoSQ, Squarespace, and Shopify are also making waves.

Here’s a more detailed look at some of the key players:

Jumia:

CEO: Sunil Natraj

Jumia is a dominant force in the African e-commerce market, operating in multiple countries and offering a wide range of products. Jumia, a prominent e-commerce platform in Africa, has seen fluctuating results. In the third quarter of 2024, they had 2.4 million quarterly active customers, a slight increase from the previous quarter. Their 2023 revenue was $186.4 million.

Konga:

CEO: Prince Nnamdi Ekeh

Another major player in Nigeria and beyond, Konga offers a diverse selection of goods and services. In the year 2020, Konga, an online marketplace for physical goods based in Lagos, Nigeria, had 23 million web visitors. About 36% of these visitors were aged 25 to 34 years. Konga is considered one of Nigeria’s leading online marketplaces.

Kilimall:

Founder: Yang Tao

Based in Kenya, Kilimall is a significant player in the East African market. Kilimall, a Chinese e-commerce company, has a significant presence in Africa, with a strong focus on Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria.

They offer a wide range of products and cater to local tastes and preferences. Kilimall has also implemented initiatives to support education and entrepreneurship on the continent.

Bumpa:

Founders: Kelvin Umechukwu and Adetunji Opayele

Focusing on the Nigerian market, Bumpa is a growing platform for SMEs. Bumpa has seen significant growth, increasing its customer base from 2,500 to over 7,000 merchants, with an average monthly growth of 50%. They’ve also supported over 200,000 orders and a gross merchandise volume (GMV) of $20 million. It is estimated that Bumpa will experience a 38% increase in stores created on their platform by the end of 2024.

Jiji:

Founder: Anton Volianskyi

Jiji is another popular Nigerian e-commerce platform. The marketplace provides buyers and sellers with an avenue to meet and exchange goods and services.

Jiji boasts 12 million monthly active users across seven African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. It also operates in Bangladesh. Its annual transaction value exceeds $10 billion USD. The platform had 10 million unique monthly visits and two million active ads with a combined worth of $10 billion as of this year.

SokoSQ:

Founders: Ezeala Adaugo Godsgift and Frankline Ugwu

SokoSQ is an AI-powered e-commerce tool helping African small businesses do more than just go digital, it helps their websites work harder.

In just a few months since launch, it has onboarded over 1,500 SMEs and is already approaching ₦1 billion in GMV.

Tailored to the realities of African entrepreneurs, SokoSQ combines high-converting online stores with AI-driven marketing, business management, and customer engagement, all in one seamless platform.

For SMEs that have relied on Instagram or WhatsApp, it bridges the gap between visibility and actual scalability, offering AI-generated product descriptions, store optimization, sales tracking, and inventory tools.

Squarespace:

Founder: Anthony Casalena

While primarily a website builder, Squarespace offers features for selling products, making it a suitable option for some SMEs. Squarespace is a popular website builder with over 4.9 million unique subscriptions and a $1.12 billion annual revenue run rate. In 2023, the company generated $1.01 billion in revenue, with a 17% increase in revenue compared to 2022. Squarespace is used by approximately 2.0% of all websites and has a 17% market share among simple website builders.

Shopify:

Founders: Scott Lake, Tobias Lütke and Daniel Weinand

Shopify is a popular platform for building online stores, with a strong presence in the African market. Shopify powers over 4 million online stores globally and has processed over $886 billion in e-commerce sales since its launch. The platform’s annual revenue reached $5.6 billion in 2023, a 20% increase from the previous year. Shopify supports over 175 countries and has a significant presence in North America, with 70% of its merchants located there. Mobile traffic makes up 71% of Shopify’s total traffic.

KudiGo Storefront:

Founder: Kingsley Abrokwah

This platform is specifically tailored for the African market, offering affordable pricing and features for SMEs. The freemium platform for e-commerce, saw a significant increase in merchant success in the last quarter, with a 260% rise in monthly transaction volume.

The platform offers features like payment processing, customer management, and inventory management, with a limit of 50 products in the free version and up to 5,000 in the full, paid version. In 2019, a high percentage (95%) of sales on the system were cash transactions, indicating the prevalence of cash transactions in some regions.

Other Notable Platforms:

Platforms like Yoco, Kalahari.com, and Bidorbuy.com also contribute to the growth of e-commerce in Africa.

These platforms are helping SMEs reach a wider audience, increase their sales, and grow their businesses by leveraging the power of online retail in Africa.