Latest Trend: Apprehension about Fashion from Tanzania
In a society where online shopping is not widely trusted, the transition to becoming an online business has its limitations. However, for Halima, a fashion designer from Tanzania, this challenge was an opportunity to adapt and grow.
Before the pandemic, Halima had a thriving physical store for selling fashion items. But as people focused on buying basic necessities, the demand for fashion items decreased, and her store faced a significant setback.
Recognising the need to adapt, Halima took her business online. She built a website and increased her use of social media to sell her fashion items. Many local retailers face a similar challenge—convincing potential customers that online shopping with them is safe.
Halima's transition to digital sales was not without initial hurdles. People were hesitant to buy fashion items from her website or through social media due to distrust in online shopping. To overcome this, Halima chose to use the local e-commerce platform, M-Soko, to transfer her business processes and build customer trust.
The pandemic also brought about changes in the fashion industry. Fashion shows transitioned to an online format, and Halima found herself at the forefront of this digital shift. Initially, she started making facemasks for sale, but they only sold for about $1 each. Despite the low profit margins, she persisted, knowing that every sale was a step towards building customer trust.
As the lockdown continued, Halima's physical store remained inaccessible to customers. But the digital world offered a new opportunity for growth. The e-commerce market in Africa was projected to reach up to $27 billion in 2020, indicating an increase in online shopping. Africans are now being presented with new ways to shop online globally.
Halima has gradually seen an increase in online sales, including to customers outside of the country. She enjoys being online and has found an online community of business people where they share ideas on growing their businesses. Despite the initial challenges, Halima's digital transformation has proven to be a successful move, demonstrating the potential of online shopping in Tanzania and Africa as a whole.
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