Jumia is a pan-African e-commerce company founded in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2012. The company is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, and operates across several African markets, including Egypt.
The investment is expected to enable around 60,000 active local sellers to participate more fully in the digital economy, support approximately 1,800 direct jobs, and create income-generating opportunities for more than 100,000 independent sales agents, according to a statement.
The funding will support Jumia’s next phase of growth across its core African markets, strengthening its integrated e-commerce marketplace and logistics network.
As digital commerce expands across Africa, access to online marketplaces, logistics services, and digital payment systems is becoming increasingly important for small businesses seeking to expand beyond their local markets.
The IFC investment is expected to help businesses increase sales, improve productivity, and access new customers, while giving consumers greater access to a wider range of affordable goods and services.
“Jumia demonstrates how pan-African e-commerce platforms can expand economic opportunity at scale,” said Farid Fezoua, IFC director for equity, funds, and venture capital.
“Our investment supports the company’s next phase of growth while contributing to creating jobs, digitizing supply chains and distribution channels, and mobilizing private investment,” Fezoua added.
Jumia CEO Francis Dufay said the investment marks a milestone for both the company and Africa’s e-commerce sector.
“The support of the World Bank Group is a milestone for Jumia and for African e-commerce more broadly,” Dufay said, adding that the investment validates the company’s business model and its impact on small businesses, jobs, and consumers across its eight markets.
“With partners like the IFC, we can accelerate the digital commerce infrastructure Africa needs,” he said.
Jumia’s African operations
Jumia's platform combines an online marketplace connecting more than 60,000 sellers with customers, a logistics network that facilitates the shipment and delivery of packages, and payment gateways supported by licensed payment service providers and other partners in selected markets.
The company aims to use technology to provide consumers with more convenient and affordable online services while helping businesses expand their reach and serve customers more efficiently.
The IFC investment forms part of the World Bank Group’s broader efforts to strengthen digital economies and expand opportunities for private-sector businesses in emerging markets.
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, focuses on private-sector development in emerging markets and operates in more than 100 countries. In fiscal year 2025, it committed a record $71.7 billion to private companies and financial institutions in developing countries, including through mobilizing private capital.
The African e-commerce market was valued at $360.7 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $1.14 trillion by 2034, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.25 percent between 2026 and 2034, according to a report by management consulting firm IMARC Group.
IMARC attributed the expected growth to the rising penetration of the internet and smartphones across the continent, greater availability of affordable data packages, Africa's growing young and tech-savvy population, and the emergence of localized digital payment solutions.
Short link: