It is an open secret that Africa is an emerging market and buoyed by a growing middle class there is more disposable income for both local and international goods. A situation not lost on Wivela , UK online platform that also wants a piece of the pie. HumanIPO caught up with Donald Hagbe the company’s CEO on their expected launch to Africa.
HumanIPO: Give me an overview of Wivela.
Hagbe: Wivela is what we can call a platform within a platform offering people a million possibilities. Our aim is with the years to be able to provide customers across Africa and the world, with a platform giving them access to many different products and services. We created and designed, services and products aimed at solving people’s problems and meeting their needs across the world.
When was the concept born?
Before Wivela Holdings came into existence, we were already running a business based on niche sites across Europe. Wivela came to life as our scope and purpose changed from profit making to world changing.
We were predominantly in business for the monetary value it brings, but after a certain time, you can imagine that if your goal is to make money, there will be a point that the challenge will fade away and the desire and drive to go forward will slowly die.
As time passed by I noticed that we could be profit making by helping others across the world. That is how Wivela came to life. We saw enormous potential across the world in all types of industries, and I believed it would have been unwise not to get my finger in such a jar of opportunity.
Are you already doing business in the UK?
Yes we are. We have been doing business across Europe, especially in the UK, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany. Wivela will be also active in the UK and other European markets as well as through the world in countries as India and Turkey.
Tell me about the shopping platform to be launched in Africa?
We are about to launch much more than just an e-commerce site. We aim at providing everything, from books to grocery. Some products will available worldwide, while others will be made available at a latter stage. Our product offering differs per country, but it’s our plan to make sure that everything is to be purchased everywhere. This is an essential component of our plans. Bringing local products to the global market and global products yet unfamiliar and unknown to local markets.
To make such become reality we are partnering with a growing number of young African startups and others across the world trusting us to be their gateway to the world. You can imagine how advantageous it could be for a fashion designer in Kenya to have access to more developing and fashion conscious markets like the United State, UK, France and Italy.
Just to give you an idea of what we aim to sell, we will sell Baby products and clothing, Books, camera and accessories, cell phones, consumer electronics, electronics accessories, home and garden, downloadable products, music, outdoor, office products, software and computers, personal computers musical instruments, sport, tools and games, video games and consoles industrial goods, etc. In few words, we will sell EVERYTHING that can be sold, and that meets our customer demand.
Why have you decided to branch out to Africa?
Africa as the land of a new set of opportunities for all businesses. The challenge, the opportunity and the desire to bring new and innovative solution to the world made me choose Africa. Without a doubt the availability of so many sectors with unimagined potential was another reason for branching out. The scramble for the African customer is starting and Wivela Holdings want to be one of the first to have a sit at the table.
After after experiencing a significant improvement in the quality of living and in terms of urbanization giving the rise to mega cities as Lagos and Johannesburg, the increase in pending power of the middle class make Africa a fertile ground for business. The development of Africa offers huge opportunities across sectors, including manufacturing, infrastructure, services and agriculture
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to six of the world’s 10 fastest-growing economies, and its middle class is set to triple to more than one billion people in the next half-century. About 42 percent of Africans will be earning between $4 and $20 a day (as opposed to $1 or $2, the general definition of “living in poverty”) by 2060, according to a report from the African Development Bank. Also, it’s population is also incredibly young — more than half of Africans are under 20 – so in a few decades it will have a massive working-age population. Thus, where there’s purchasing power, there’s business interest.
Africa is an exciting and happening space where many business ecosystems still have to be build. Over the last decade, substantial progress has been made in growth and human development. This imparts an inherent momentum to the African economy. Governments across the continent are placing increasing stress on forging attractive business environments to attract investments. We see growing global linkages in Africa and we are well placed to leverage the emerging opportunities to mutual benefit.
Which countries will you use to make inroads to the country?
Nigeria, South Africa, Cameroon, Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Sudan, Uganda, Mauritius,
Why this particular countries?
We used a particular metric to choose this countries. Their well-being has improved in the past five years.. All have enjoyed rapid growth in GDP per person and the Income growth per person has been above 5% a year. Also the desire and demand for our platforms and services, ecosystem, ease in doing business, Internet penetration rate, GDP, socio-economic development and many more.
What is your revenue model?
That is an information we will currently not disclose.
There are other players in Africa at the moment both home grown and international do you plan to counter competition?
In Europe and more developed countries, we face much more competition, but due to our partnerships and product offering we can still compete. In Africa, our main competitor will be Jumia which is currently Africa biggest online shopping platform. In South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya there are also other well established parties as Konga in Nigeria and Kalahari in South Africa.
Why an online shopping platform and not a physical one?
Well, at the moment it will only be an online shopping plaftform giving access to many other services and platforms. The main reason for an online platform is the possibility to reach the many across the world. We are currently developing close ties with local stores to function as our hub where people can either pick up their parcel or be able to shop directly from there at affordable rates. Our own physical store is surely part of our expansion plan.
Who will you be targeting with this concept?
We target all level of society. With our online store we target everyone wanting to purchase a product online. It can be a smarthphone, a book, clothing, etc. Most of our stores are location based, but we developed them in a way that some neighboring countries can purchase products across borders without stress. With our other platforms and services we aim at more specific groups as entrepreneurs, NGO, startups, students and local institutions, an example is Wivela WebServices, where affordable online hosting, cloud space, website and app development, and marketing communications tools can be found.
Wivela Business and Knowledge Development Center developed for students, NGO’s and startups wanting to gather and grow knowledge about marketing, planning, accounting, finance, thus all tools and recourses needed to help them from the development of their ideas to worldwide expansion. With this program, we also aim at being the gateway for start ups looking for funding, coaching and their pathway to the world.
With our worldwide activities, we have already many small business owners and start up wanting to partner up with us to help them sell their product or services in more developed markets across the world.
Wivela Education which aims at fostering education and the access to knowledge for schools and local institutions.
Wivela FoodGroup is developed to meet the shortcoming in the agricultural sector in Africa and other countries . We should all thank farmers if we are able to enjoy the fruits of the ground. unfortunately most of them lack resources and knowledge especially to develop more sustainable ways of farming which are to lead to higher profits and better societal development. From farmers to markets and productions. The plan is to grow a bigger network across the world and help local manufacturers access new markets and opportunities.
Wivela Music Distribution – Helping African authors and many more in developing markets reaching the millions worldwide with their talent.
Wivela Publishing Services – Giving authors of books, cartoons, and much more the platform to share their knowledge and talent with the world.
These are just few of the many services we aim at launching in Africa and across the world.
What are your other short term plans for Africa?
Growing awareness, learning and adapting our services and activities according to our customers and the demand of the market. Further develop sustainable partnership with different parties in different sectors.
What are your other long term plans for Africa?
Invest in many more across sectors. As i mentioned we will be active in many sectors, and the idea is to be significant in many more, think about online payments. many countries do not have access to online payment and services supporting VISA and Master Card, like in Ethiopia and Liberia. Infrastructure and housing, E-government services and many more; Anywhere we can be able to bring a solution, Wivela Holdings will be there.
When is the exact date of your launch?
We did not decide yet. But around mid September we will start opening the first stores.
Why this particular timeline of two months?
Many aspects played a role. But at the end we decided a time period not too soon and far from launching day.
