#51: Jiji - How the Classifieds platform became the largest marketplace in West & East Africa

Overview: Today, we’re going to talk about Jiji - the African classifieds platform. We’ll explore the Jiji story across 6 areas: Classifieds platforms in other emerging markets Classifieds platforms in Africa Jiji’s early history Jiji’s product & monetization strategy Jiji’s competitive positioning & potential exit options overall outlook. This episode was recorded on May 15 2022. Companies discussed: Jiji, Genesis Group, Naspers, OLX, Craigslist, Avito.ru, Adevinta, Jumia, Konga, Cars45, Cheki.ng, Autochek, Tonaton, Saltside Technologies, Bikroy, Dubizzle, Kalahari, Autotrader & Property24 Business concepts discussed: Classifieds platforms, classifieds monetization, M&A strategy, e-commerce, social commerce, agency banking & marketplace  Conversation highlights: (01:36) - Why we’re talking about GG today (09:51) - Classifieds platforms in other emerging markets (23:15) - Africa classifieds context (27:12) - OLX in Africa (36:48) - Jiji founding and early history (45:33) - Fundraising and Growth (1:03:09) - Product and monetization strategy (1:09:33) - Competition and options for exit (1:30:06) - Olumide’s overall thoughts and outlook (1:32:13) - Bankole’s overall thoughts and outlook (1:38:55) - Recommendations and small wins Olumide’s recommendations & small wins: Recommendation: Re-watched Amelie - Great movie Small win: Setup 2nd whiteboard in my room. Fun times ahead Interested in investing in Africa Tech with Olumide: Read about Adamantium fund & contact me at [email protected] Founders looking for funding: If you're a B2B founder working on Education, Health, Finance or food, please contact me for funding at [email protected] Bankole’s recommendations & small wins: Recommendation: Last Last - Burna Boy & Business Breakdowns Podcast - DigitalBridge Small win: Planting season in Seattle :) Other content: Tweet about Twilio stock-based compensation & History of the United States in 5 crashes Investors, Operators, Entrepreneurs - We’d love to hear from you. Please email [email protected] to share feedback or propose topics you’d like to hear. Join our insider mailing list where we get feedback on new episodes & find all episodes on Afrobility.com