The company revealed the plans at its Delivering the Future event in Dartford, England, where it also introduced an upgraded version of Proteus, its autonomous warehouse robot.

The new Proteus can move across warehouse floors rather than being limited to loading and dock areas. Amazon said employees can now give the robot instructions using everyday language instead of technical commands.

“You tell it what needs to be done. It figures out the priority, the route, the timing,” said Scott Dresser, vice president of Amazon Robotics.

Like the current version, Proteus is designed to handle physically demanding work, including moving heavy carts over long distances. Amazon explained that the upgraded robot is being tested in its laboratories and is expected to begin operating in Europe during the first half of 2027.

Alongside Proteus, Amazon also highlighted other robotics technologies that it plans to expand across its European network. These include Vulcan, the company’s first robot with a sense of touch, and STARK, a robotic tote-handling system that works alongside employees by picking full totes from conveyors and placing them onto carts.

STARK was first tested in Barcelona and Amazon plans to deploy it at 15 sites across Europe by 2027.

The warehouse robots rollout is part of an investment programme worth more than €10 billion, Amazon said the funding will be used to expand and modernise fulfilment centres across Europe while supporting long-term growth in the region.

The company expects the expansion to create 25,000 additional jobs across its European fulfilment network over the coming years.

Amazon also announced a fresh commitment to workforce development, pledging $1 billion to its Career Choice programme by 2030. The initiative funds education and training for employees seeking careers in areas such as cyber security, software development, logistics, renewable energy and mechatronics.

More than 300,000 employees have participated in the programme globally, including 30,000 in the United Kingdom.

On the delivery side, Amazon said it will open more than 25 Sub Same-Day Delivery sites across Europe this year. The facilities bring storage, fulfilment and final delivery operations together in one location, allowing customers to place orders later in the day and still receive them within hours.

The company said the network will expand to locations including Coventry in the UK and Nürnberg in Germany.

Amazon Now, the retailer’s ultra-fast delivery service for groceries and household essentials, is also set for further growth. The service, which promises delivery in 30 minutes or less, is already available in parts of London and will expand to Manchester and Birmingham later this year.

In another update for European customers, Amazon said its Add to Delivery feature will launch in the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and France later this year. The service allows Prime members to add items to an existing order without completing a separate checkout process or paying extra delivery charges.

The company is also strengthening its grocery offering. Customers in parts of central and east London can now combine fresh food items, including fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products, with other Amazon purchases for same-day delivery.

Amazon said the investment drive follows a record year in Europe. The company invested more than €60 billion across the region in 2025, its largest annual investment in Europe to date.

The retailer also provided an update on its sustainability efforts, revealing that more than 50,000 electric delivery vans are now operating across the United States, Europe and India. That figure represents half of Amazon’s target to deploy 100,000 electric vans globally by 2030.

In Europe, Amazon and its delivery partners have now completed more than 100 million deliveries using electric cargo bikes, electric mopeds and on-foot delivery methods. These deliveries have helped avoid more than 17,000 metric tonnes of carbon emissions.

• Discovery: TikTok’s algorithm gives African brands viral exposure, while Instagram’s reach is flattening.
• Conversion: Instagram still converts better per customer; TikTok is on top-of-funnel reach.
• Payment Friction: TikTok’s checkout is inconsistent across African markets; Instagram relies on external sites.
• Trust & Logistics: Delivery delays and refund issues still affect trust in both, but brands report fewer challenges from Instagram-driven sales.

When it comes to eCommerce, we could say every brand is pushing, but not everyone’s cart rolls straight.

In 2025, over 500 million Africans are projected to shop online, but most of those purchases still happen through social media posts, not dedicated e-commerce stores. 

TikTok and Instagram are now the continent’s foremost markets. But let’s look beyond viral reach and revenue, which one actually closes the sale?

Nigeria specifically, has become the testing ground for social commerce. According to DataReportal, Instagram had 9.90 million users in Nigeria in early 2025, representing about 4.2% of the population. Meanwhile, TikTok had an estimated 37.4 million users aged 18+ in Nigeria early 2025, roughly 30% of adults. 

Instagram’s reach is declining in Nigeria (down ~20% year-on-year), while TikTok is expanding. That alone shows a shift in where brands might focus.

This means that platform reach is important, but sales depend on much more, including checkout flows, trust, logistics, and discovery mechanics. I set out to test five key questions:

Hypotheses

1. Which platform converts followers into paying customers more reliably in Africa?
2. Which platform delivers higher average order value (AOV) and repeat purchase rate?
3. How do discovery algorithms and content formats affect buyer intent?
4. Which platform offers less friction at checkout/payment/delivery?
5. In the African market context, which is a better target for ad spend and ROI?

Platform features & mechanics

Discovery & organic reach
TikTok’s feed mechanics (“For You Page”) prioritise virality, short videos can reach thousands of users quickly. In Kenya, for example, TikTok ad reach grew by 42.7% between 2024 and 2025. Instagram, however, is showing decline in Nigeria: a 20.2% drop in potential ad reach year-on-year.

This means TikTok gives better odds for organic discovery of a product if your content hits. Instagram still gives reach, but the ceiling is lower, particularly for newer brands.

Product catalogue, storefront & listing mechanics

Instagram Shops allow brands to tag products in posts and run a “Shop” tab as part of their profile. It is integrated with Meta’s Commerce Manager. However, Meta has announced changes to checkout flows which may impact how brands handle fulfilment. 

TikTok Shop provides in-app product pages, live shopping and creator affiliate integration. That said: in Africa the full commerce layer is patchy. For example, according to analysis, TikTok Shop in Nigeria lacks unified mobile wallet integration, in-app checkout remains inconsistent, and there are logistics challenges.

So while TikTok offers the outline for a full commerce funnel, real-world readiness in many African markets is still a limitation.

Checkout & payments (friction) 

On Instagram: many brands in Africa still redirect from Instagram to an external website, which adds steps and drop-off risk. On TikTok: the approach is seamless checkout. 

However, in Nigeria local challenges like fragmented mobile money systems, low average order values (under $20), and weak refund/charge-back infrastructure, hit TikTok.

The result is that brands on TikTok may gain discovery but still have friction converting to payment. On Instagram, the payment model may be more stable, but you trade off some discovery and virality.

Ads & promotion mechanics (paid performance)
Paid ads on Instagram are mature; brands know how to optimise them. On TikTok, ad formats are newer, creative demands are higher (video must hook fast), and scaling spend usually drops return on ad spend (ROAS). One advertiser reported ROAS dropping from 10× to below 2× when scaling TikTok spend. 

Thus: TikTok shop may give high ROAS at low spend (if content works), but scaling remains tricky; Instagram offers more predictable paid behaviour, but with less surprise upside.

Creator & influencer ecosystem
Tick any brand box and you’ll find the creator economy of Africa is booming. Many small brands turn to TikTok creators to drive sales. However brand-creator commerce models still suffer from limitations: limited payout options, regional eligibility issues, and tracking problems. 

Instagram still offers stable influencer collaborations, but at higher cost and less immediate conversion.

Logistics, delivery & returns
Logistics in many African markets is challenging. The World Bank Logistics Performance Index places Nigeria 88th globally. That means delivery delays, cost increases, and return friction. 

For commerce platforms that promise quick delivery or live-shopping impulses (like TikTok), these infrastructure gaps matter. Instagram-driven sales sometimes redirect to brands’ website or to offline pickup models, slower but more predictable.

Trust, fraud & safety
Buyer trust is essential. On platforms where checkout is embedded, buyer protection and refund policies impact how comfortable people are with purchase. 

TikTok still has service gaps in Africa on refunds/charge-backs. Instagram brands usually have to rely on external fulfilment but benefit from Meta’s brand association and existing user familiarity. 

For African brands, Instagram Shops currently provide more predictability of sales, albeit at a lower growth ceiling. TikTok Shop offers greater upside, especially if your content catches, but also greater risk, especially around payment and fulfilment.

Practical playbook for African brands

Here is what I advise based on brand size, product type and infrastructure readiness:

• Micro-brand (cash-strapped, low inventory): Use TikTok for discovery, produce highly native content, use local creators, accept low AOV but aim for volume. Ensure you have a reliable fulfilment partner or localised dispatch strategy.
• Medium brand (some inventory, higher AOV): Use Instagram Shops for steady performance; invest in paid ads + retargeting; use TikTok for top-of-funnel awareness but send conversion through Instagram or website.
• Export-focussed brand: Use TikTok to tap international viral potential, but ensure checkout/payment/fulfilment are export-ready. Use Instagram and your site to manage repeat customers and higher order value purchases.
• Way forward (90-day roadmap):
  1. Audit your checkout and fulfilment set-up (payment, shipping, returns).
  2. Run a small TikTok test campaign (budget ~5–10% of monthly marketing) tracking CAC, ROAS, AOV, repeat rate.
  3. Parallel: optimise Instagram Shop tags + retargeting ad flow.
  4. Compare metrics after 30, 60, 90 days. Make decision: focus where ROI is stronger, with platform backup.

Policy, payments & infrastructure implications

There’s a bigger story here. Meta (Instagram’s parent) announced changes to its in-app checkout policy which will impact how African brands operate Instagram Shops. For TikTok, payment rail fragmentation and logistics delays are key constraints. 

In markets like Nigeria where delivery infrastructure is weaker, impulse live-commerce still runs into friction. Brands must understand that platform mechanics are only part of the equation, external factors (payments, shipping, refunds) matter just as much.

Risks, limitations & open questions

• Platform data transparency is limited: public GMV figures for TikTok Shop in Africa are sparse.
• Rapid changes: platform policies, country-eligibility of features, and logistic networks evolve fast, data is date-sensitive.
• Infrastructure gaps: rural markets in Africa still have slower internet, higher shipping costs, which may bias results toward urban centres.

If I were to sum this up: TikTok Shop gives the bigger chance for African brands to break out and scale, especially if you’ve got creative content and basic infrastructure in place. 

But for most brands right now, Instagram Shops brings the safer path, with a more stable ecosystem, predictable performance and higher order values.

My recommendation: Do not pick one and ignore the other. Use TikTok for discovery and volume, and Instagram as your conversion engine, unless you have the logistics and payment setup to fully exploit live commerce for your online shop at scale.

For the next 90 days: test both Instagram and TikTok Shop, measure CAC, conversion, repeat purchase and scale what works. In Africa’s social commerce space of 2025, the brands who win will be the ones who combine creative reach with flawless execution.

His decision comes one year after Wasoko’s landmark merger with Egypt’s MaxAB, which created Africa’s largest B2B digital platform for informal retail.

Announcing the move in a LinkedIn post, Yu said: “After more than 11 incredible years building Wasoko, and completing our landmark merger last year with MaxAB, I’ve decided to transition out of my full-time role at the company.”

From Startup to $625 Million Valuation

Since launching in 2013, Daniel Yu scaled Wasoko into a $625 million business backed by Tiger Global, Silver Lake, and British International Investment. The company raised over $230 million in funding and connected 450,000 merchants to 65 million consumers across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, and Morocco.

The merger with MaxAB bolstered operations but came with heavy restructuring. In late 2023, Wasoko laid off over 100 staff, closed its Zanzibar office, and suspended operations in Uganda and Zambia. 

Senior Kenyan executives, including the CFO, CTO, and Head of HR, also exited earlier this year as the combined business shifted leadership to Cairo, where MaxAB co-founder Belal El-Megharbel now leads as CEO.

Yu’s Continued Role and Focus on Profitability

Although leaving daily operations, Yu confirmed he will remain involved in an advisory capacity: “While I’m stepping back from day-to-day responsibilities, I’ll remain closely involved in helping the company reach new heights under Belal’s leadership.”

Across African tech, startups are moving from chasing growth through gross merchandise volume to focusing on sustainable profitability.

Relocating to India and Leading Malengo

Yu’s departure is also impacted by personal commitments. He revealed that he is relocating to India to join his fiancée, Rachel Abbott, as they prepare for their wedding. At the same time, he will expand his work as board chair of Malengo, a nonprofit that funds international education for low-income students to help break cycles of poverty.

“On a personal note, I’m relocating to India to join my amazing fiancée, Rachel Abbott, as we plan our wedding and life together ahead. Alongside this, I’m excited to further step into my recent appointment as board chair at Malengo, a truly innovative nonprofit eliminating extreme poverty through international education.”

What Daniel Yu’s Exit Means for Wasoko

Yu’s transition is a huge shift for Wasoko, which has positioned itself as a key player in Africa’s $600 billion informal retail sector. With MaxAB at the fore and Cairo as its operational centre, the company is doubling down on digital payments, credit financing, and AI-powered e-commerce tools.

For Daniel Yu, this closes a chapter defined by building one of Africa’s biggest retail-tech stories, while opening another focused on global impact through education and poverty reduction.