From TechCrunch
By Annie Njanja
October 25, 2023
The social commerce market size in Africa is expected to continue growing as businesses and micro-entrepreneurs embrace digital media, driven by the rising usage of apps like WhatsApp, TikTok and Instagram. Yet even as sellers leverage these social sites for online presence to showcase their products and connect with customers, the end-to-end buying experience is […]
© 2023 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
SleekFlow snaps up $7M to tap the conversational AI opportunity across Asia
SleekFlow, a Singapore- and Hong Kong-headquartered social commerce platform that has built a conversational AI suite for customer engagement targeted to Asian markets, said Wednesday it had secured an additional $7 million in funding. The money will be used to continue developing its AI, as well as to penetrate deeper into Southeast Asia and the Middle East and make inroads into Europe. The startup’s fundraise and plans for growth underscore the rapid rise of social commerce — where sellers l
Aug 20, 2024
MarketForce exits three markets, set to launch a social commerce spinout
Kenyan B2B e-commerce company MarketForce has shut down operations in three of its five markets in Africa and is in the early stages of launching a social commerce spinout. TechCrunch has learned that MarketForce’s super-app dubbed RejaReja, which enables informal retailers (mom-and-pop stores) to order fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) directly from distributors and manufacturers […]
Oct 28, 2023
Social Agent’s new app lets you book a photographer within 30 minutes
There’s an unspoken pressure nowadays to share all your special moments online, whether it be birthdays, graduations, or engagements. However, not Social Agent is a location-based app that connects users with trained photographers and content creators for same-day events in 30 minutes.
Apr 30, 2025
Rwazi to scale its market intelligence platform backed by $4 million seed funding
In emerging markets like Africa, offline retail dominates most product sales, driven by informal trade, and cash-based transactions. This makes the sourcing of data on the true market value or sizes of products a herculean task. Yet, local and international brands require data, for instance, on market size and value, consumer profiles and their purchasing […]
Mar 23, 2023