The e-commerce market is booming in Ivory Coast, French-speaking Africa’s largest economy. Currently worth around €46 million, it’s set to grow even more in coming years alongside the population. However, e-traders face a host of systemic challenges, from high transfer fees to restrictions on global online payment platforms such as PayPal.
Vanessa runs a business from her home in Bouaké, one of Ivory Coast's largest cities, and has been selling her cocoa butter and shea butter cosmetics online for nearly 10 years. She’s financially dependent on that business, and loses a large chunk of her profit to transaction costs.
