African e-commerce platform MallforAfrica has been awarded a fashion retailing accolade for their efforts in providing African consumers with access to international markets.
The Nigerian-based platform won the Drapers Award for Innovation in Fashion at the recently concluded Drapers Award ceremony in London, according to Techcabal.
MallforAfrica finds itself in good company as the recipient of the international award, with previous winners including the likes of H&M, Next and BooHoo.com.
Founded in 2011, MallforAfrica enables Africans to purchase products from more than 200 U.S. and British online retailers through their e-commerce platform, staying true to their slogan, “shop global, pickup local”.
MallforAfrica and eBay began a partnership in 2016 with the launch of the eBay ‘Powered by Mall For Africa’ app in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, according to Tech Crunch.
A recent development announced in September allows Africans to sell their products to U.S. customers through the platform. The products are listed on the MallforAfrica store on eBay.com, with product categories such as fashion, art & collectables, jewelry, and clothing.
Fashion retailing award for MallforAfrica
This is the 27th year in which the Drapers Award ceremony has been held, with the African platform recognized for its innovative nature.
MallforAfrica co-founder Tope Folayan reacted to the award, expressing his delight at his online company receiving the global accolade.
“We are extremely proud of this recognition. We have worked very hard these past few years to provide African’s with access to international stores and brands,” Folayan said, according to Techcabal.
“We provide end-to-end services so customers can shop regardless of their location and have items they purchased delivered to them locally all from our App. This is why we say with our App you can ‘shop global and pick up local’,” he added.
The internet’s contribution to Africa’s gross domestic product could rise to 10 percent, or $300 billion, by 2025, according to a report by consultants McKinsey’s & Company.
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