Jumia announces new initiative to support Egypt SMEs, handicrafts

E-commerce giant Jumia Egypt announced on Tuesday it had launched a new initiative at the beginning of the Holy month of Ramadan to support small and medium-sized (SMEs) businesses in the country.

Under the theme of “Support Them … Buy Their Products”, the initiative is a part of Jumia’s exerted effort over the past few years to support locally manufactured products and encourage Egyptians to buy them.

Jumia said in a statement it aims to inspire SMEs in Egypt to reach new consumers and increase their sales by encouraging the purchase of their products. This initiative will enhance the role of local production to boost Egypt’s economy.

The participants of the initiative will be part of a dedicated marketing campaign; including social media videos and dedicated sections on Jumia’s platform to increase their visibility and raise awareness for consumers to buy their products to support them, it added.

“Handicrafts are one of Egypt’s key cultural heritages that are in danger of becoming extinct. We are proud that we were one of the first companies that supported handicraft projects to promote the products and businesses.” Hesham Safwat, CEO of Jumia Egypt, said.  

“Our aim is to extend their reach to the widest number of consumers, showcasing their high quality and premium taste.”

Safwat added: “Jumia has for years supported locally manufactured products and inspired the Egyptian skilled-labour to produce more products to sell.

“There are no doubts that SME industries are the mainstay of the national economy, we always work together to encourage them to expand the base of the beneficiaries of their products and at the same time ensure that they have a continuous and fixed income through Jumia.”

The new initiative will run throughout the Holy month of Ramadan and will continue through the year to encourage handicraft owners to promote their products.

There are over 12,000 sellers are partnering with Jumia in Egypt.