Vuuqa, an African online store that brings the market to your fingertips

Vuuqa is an online platform that sells African brands. The name Vuuqa is a word that was coined from “suuqa” meaning market in Somali, and “vuka” meaning to get up in isiZulu. It’s a call for Africa to rise up through local consumption and production, therefore fueling the economy and building the continent. We had a chat with the ladies from Vuuqa about how it all came about and their journey and obstacles in the e-commerce space. Here’s what they had to say…

How did the idea come to fruition?

We met whilst studying towards our MBA and were both selling products individually. We then quickly realised that selling beyond our current market was a difficult task. We both wanted to create separate online stores but decided that it would be better to create one website that could create access to market for other people who found themselves in our position. Hence Vuuqa was created as an online marketplace that sells African brands in order to create access to market for small African brands beyond their individual reach.

What is one of the key lessons that you learnt when you ventured into the e-commerce space?

E-commerce in Africa is not the same as E-commerce in the western world. We’ve therefore started describing what we do as Afri-commerce .

How interesting has the journey been with many Africans still afraid of buying online?

It’s forced us to be creative on how we present our value offering. For example, you can pay via e-wallet mobile payments for security reasons as some customers do not want to enter their banking details when paying. We have realized that you cannot only be present digitally, you also have to have physical presence, phygital, in order to educate consumers on the safety and ease of buying online.

How have you maneuvered this space and built trust?

The most beneficial thing that’s happened to Vuuqa is the power of referrals. This either through people who know us personally or from the brands on the platform. Africans are a communal and creative society. What we’ve found is that every other person either knows or have heard of someone in their circles who creates something. Through our services, we’re able to give you an online presence, where you can get access to a market that’s beyond their current reach. That’s the power of Vuuqa.

What sort of products have you seen sell more on your site?

So far, natural beauty products, such as shea butter sell really well and have a high customer return rate. The other items that sell well are traditional print fashion items such as bomber jackets and fanny packs. It’s important however, to note that this is also influenced by the type of brands we have on the platform: Vuuqa is constantly on the lookout for new and exciting products we’re yet to encounter.

How do people place their products on Vuuqa?

On the vuuqa platform, there’s a “sell on vuuqa” tab. On there, interested brands provide details on their offering. Thereafter, a member of the Vuuqa team will reach out to you and help you through the entire process, from quality checks, to finally publishing your brand’s page getting you ready to sell online!

What’s the grand mission for this service?

To provide small brands with a platform where they can sell and guidance on how they can position themselves to compete on an international level.

Where can our readers learn more and support Vuuqa and all the refreshing brands it has on its digital shelves?

Visit our website to browse and shop on www.vuuqa.com

Follow, like, and share our pages and posts on social media. The more people know about us, the better chance the brands on our platform get to sell and market their brand to the world.

FB: Vuuqa

IG: @vuuqa

Twitter: @vuuqa_

LinkedIn: Vuuqa

• Any last words to leave other aspiring entrepreneurs in your industry?

Quality, professionalism and resilience over everything! Africa, this is our time!