Jumia has revealed its plan to exit Rwanda. Jumia also partnered with Travelstart to run Jumia Travel across Africa. In this regard, Jumia announced it will no longer accept cash on delivery in Rwanda. The company also revealed that it will only process pre-paid orders and will contact Jumia Prime subscribers regarding their refunds. The company will henceforth allow vendors to sell their wares via Jumia.rw, its classified platform.
Travelstart is a Cape Town-based online travel agency. The partnership will grant Travelstart access to power Jumia Travels African online booking portal. Travelstart will control its sales fulfilment and customer services across Africa.
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According to Joe Falter, EVP Jumia On-Demand Services, “We have a strong belief in the potential of the online travel industry and travel portals in Africa and have built a strong platform across our markets to address this opportunity.”
“In Travelstart, we have found the perfect partner to build on the success Jumia Travel has achieved so far. While we will continue to promote the travel category, Travelstart will be responsible for the operations of the business. The travel ecosystem in Africa will be further energized by this partnership,” he said.
Joe Falter also noted that the partnership will ensure they remain hyper-focused on their path to profitability.
Travelstart is present in nine African countries and will leverage the partnership to scale its customer database.