By : Mohamed Elkholy 

Jumia, a leading e-commerce platform empowering micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), has signed a memorandum of understanding with USAID Business Egypt to create new online markets and facilitate the expansion of companies' product offerings across the nation. 

One of USAID Business Egypt’s primary objectives is to assist existing MSMEs by connecting them with large anchor firms to better integrate them into the business ecosystem. This aligns directly with Jumia’s mission and the partnership will coordinate the following activities:

Merchant Upskilling: about 1,000 small and medium businesses will receive training and development support, enhancing their e-commerce capabilities. 

Formalization Support: about 1,500 unregistered small businesses will receive guidance with official registration, enabling access to financial services, government support programs, and investment opportunities.

Facilitating Links: Collaboration between Jumia and business development service centers will ensure the sustainable transfer of knowledge. 

Beyond empowering e-commerce MSMEs, this collaboration supports the region's first initiative providing a seamless shopping experience across multiple channels, including in-store, mobile, and online. As a result, merchants will now have their own websites while seamlessly integrating with the services provided by Jumia.

"This collaboration reflects Jumia's commitment to supporting and promoting local businesses,” said Abdellatif Olama, CEO of Jumia Egypt. “We recognize the pivotal role played by MSMEs, the backbone of the Egyptian economy. Jumia is working closely with thousands of business owners, aligning with the government's continuous efforts to bolster this vital sector, enhance production across various industries, and create more jobs."