AliExpress, an international online retail marketplace, announced today a significant expansion in its payment options for shoppers across Africa to elevate online shopping in the continent.
This initiative follows AliExpress’ introduction of various local mobile payment methods last year, which was welcomed by consumers seeking better access to global products.
Starting this March, AliExpress has extended its local-currency payment capabilities to several African countries, including Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, Ethiopia, Morocco and Tanzania, aiming to provide a more seamless and secure payment experience for local consumers.
The expansion builds on the successful integration of M-Pesa in Kenya and Opay and Verve card payments in Nigeria last year.
This development comes at an opportune time, coinciding with AliExpress’s largest promotion of the year, which runs from March 17 to March 26. During this period, consumers will benefit from numerous coupon offers and the convenience of paying in local currency.
Over the past year, AliExpress has made substantial efforts to enhance customer experience in the African region. Currently, users in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria and Tanzania can receive their cross-border orders in as fast as 10 days, underscoring the platform’s commitment to offering speedy and reliable delivery. It has also established its first African showroom in Ethiopia, where wholesale buyers can browse curated product selections and place orders directly in a physical setting.
“AliExpress features a diverse range of products from hundreds of thousands of merchants, and we are excited to connect African consumers with our offerings through initiatives such as integrating local-currency payments,” said Bonny Zhao, Director of AliExpress Business.
“We recognize that cross-border online shopping can be overwhelming due to payment and logistics complexities. Our commitment is to simplify these processes, making global e-commerce more accessible and enjoyable for consumers in this vibrant market.”