又一平台进军非洲电商市场！千亿美元蓝海持续升温

Core Viewpoint - Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries, through its merged entity RVB, is accelerating its international expansion with a focus on entering the African market, which presents significant growth potential despite current challenges [3][5][19]. Group 1: Company Strategy and Financials - RVB's CEO Robert Mirzoyan announced the company's primary goal is to solidify its existing market position while actively exploring opportunities in developing countries, with Africa as a key target [5]. - Wildberries' latest financial report indicates a projected revenue of 4.1 trillion rubles for 2024, a 60% increase from 2.5 trillion rubles in 2023 [5]. - The platform's full opening to Chinese sellers is seen as a crucial growth driver, with the onboarding process for Chinese sellers expected to be completed by the end of 2024 [5]. Group 2: Market Potential and Competition - The African e-commerce market has been experiencing rapid growth, with revenues estimated at approximately $49 billion in 2023, accounting for only about 3.5% of total retail sales, and projected to reach $113 billion by 2029 [11]. - Africa has a population of around 1.3 billion, but online shopping penetration remains low, with only 13% of the population shopping online in 2021, expected to rise to over 500 million by 2025 [11]. - The African e-commerce landscape is characterized by a fragmented market with a few dominant platforms, including Jumia, Amazon, Takealot, Konga, and Bidorbuy, which represent the leading tier of the industry [11]. Group 3: Challenges and Logistics - Wildberries' entry into the African market is seen as a bold strategy targeting significant future growth, but it faces challenges such as logistics, payment systems, competition, and localization [19]. - The lack of developed infrastructure (roads, railways, ports) and unreliable postal services contribute to high transportation and tariff costs, posing challenges for e-commerce in Africa [21]. - The logistics company Sais, established in 1997, has been building cross-border logistics channels in Africa and offers air freight services covering multiple countries, which could support Wildberries' operations [23].