Covid-19 Is An Awakening Call For Kenyan E-Commerce

Covid-19 has changed things around the world. People are no longer living the way they used to. Children are not going to school in most countries like Kenya and people have been kept away from “freely socializing” like they used to do.

The world is now ruled by almost a similar song; wash your hands, put your mask, maintain social distance, use hand sanitizers, and stay at home. People around the world continue being scared. The World Health Organization says the virus is likely here to stay.

The business world has been hard-hit by the pandemic. Millions of businesses have shut down. Millions of people have lost their jobs and there is no hope of things going back to normalcy soon. Many businesses that are striving to remain afloat have chosen to go online.

There has been an increase in the use of e-commerce platforms in Kenya in the past few months. This was informed by the fact that most Kenyans chose to keep off from physical shops and chose to order goods and services via online platforms.

“Different countries put in place different restrictions on human and goods movement as a way of fighting the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. The government of Kenya put in place such restrictions as curfews, including stopping people from crowded places… What this means is that it then changes how businesses conduct their normal operations…” including going online, said Mr. Ola Akinnusi, the Country Manager at Bolt Kenya. “Most businesses and consumers have moved online or have found one way to engage technology in carrying out their operations.”

According to Mr. Ola, Covid-19 has come as an eye-opener for the Kenyan e-commerce platforms. “Both businesses and consumers have been jolted towards innovation. I see Covid-19 as an enabler towards innovation.” The uptake of e-commerce in Kenya was slow before Covid-19.

On where Kenya stands in the use of e-commerce, Mr. Ola believes that before Covid-19, the businesses were used to having physical stores/structures, and customers were used to physically visiting such places for goods and services. But things have changed and the person who opens a shop to wait for customers is likely to miss out for customers who are online looking for products and services.

“The pandemic made us realize that the way we have been doing things is not the only way things can be done. It has led us to a place where everybody is trying to get innovative. It has made businesses learn how to manage their resources, be it a time or monetary,” he said.

For those thinking that things will go back to normal, cool your heels. Mr. Ola says this the new normal and things are not going back. It is like a train that has left the station with no reverse gear and so is the embrace of e-commerce in Kenya.

“Beyond 2020, you will start to see businesses within and without the e-commerce do things differently from how they used to before this pandemic,” said Mr. Ola.

According to Mr. Ola, his company, Bolt Kenya, has entered the Kenyan e-commerce space not to compete with the existing traditional e-commerce platforms but as an enabler that will catapult business owners while at the same time giving customers comfort through fast and timely deliveries.

Bolt is a transport technology platform that provides means for people and goods to move from one place to another place. “This has been a success based on the various expertise in technology, logistics, and transportation sector.” The company has introduced  Bolt Business Delivery that enables individuals and businesses to send and receive goods to different parts of the country.

“It is super easy for you to start using Bolt Business Delivery. There are no entry fees and no hidden charges. It is also affordable and one can use as little as 200 shillings. Customers and business owners can also easily track their products as it moves from the dispatched location to the destination,” said Mr. Ola.

READ: How To Get Your Business To Fly Above COVID-19 With E-Commerce