By Aloysious Kasoma
A number of Ugandans are increasingly using phones for online transactions, a new Jumia report has revealed.
According to the 2018 Report on Uganda’s Mobile Sector by Africa’s e-commerce company, 77% of customers who visited Jumia website last year used their mobile phones against 23% the number of those who visited the site with desktop computers.
The report also shows that in 2017, 83% of Ugandans preferred the cash on delivery option, while 16% opted for the MTN mobile money option when shopping online.
Speaking during the unveiling of the report in Kampala, recently, Sefik Bagdadioglu, Jumia’s Regional Manager, noted that smart phones are the primary gateway to the internet for millions of people in Africa today.
“This is the second white paper presentation from Jumia delving into mobile trends across Africa and specifically Uganda. The positive growth figures demonstrate the increasing capacity and flexibility of the online retail space in the country,” Bagdadioglu stated.
“We saw a huge opportunity to leverage the internet and use it to connect people and provide them with a solution to fulfill their daily needs. Therefore, we embarked on the journey to build a company that has a very simple mission: expand your horizons,” Bagdadioglu added.
Peter Kahiigi, the Director e-Government Services at the National Information Technology Authority – Uganda (NITA-U) highlighted the Authority’s commitment to digitizing Uganda.
He noted that the Authority has intensified efforts to reduce the cost of internet connectivity, which is a significant barrier in encouraging the use of internet across the country.
“This effort has been deliberate and we are happy to have led the industry in reducing the cost of connectivity to Government offices by over 84% since 2010,” he said.
However, the report observed that a number of challenges that people face every day include poor infrastructures, bad traffic, limited choice, limited information and expensive products and services.
