What is Copia? Copia Review, Features

Copia is a six-year-old e-commerce and logistics startup in central Kenya. It combines Africa's unique community model with the strategy of surrounding cities from the countryside to expand, and successfully raised US$26 million in 2019.

About Copia

So far, Copia says it has delivered more than 3 million orders to 450,000 consumers operating in central Kenya alone. But it is now eyeing expansion across the country as well as other countries in East Africa as part of its wider pan-African ambitions.

Consumer Group

Low-income consumers living outside urban areas that are partially underserved.

Marketing model

• Users place orders via USSD codes.

• Based on a 5000 strong network of agents who place orders on their behalf, take payments and act as delivery points.

• The agent network is mainly composed of small local merchants who earn commissions by acting as "aggregation points for order and delivery distribution" in the community.

• Rather than shopping online through a website or consumer-facing mobile app, Copia customers walk into a partnering agent’s store.

Advantages

• Solve postal address problems associated with mail delivery in some urban and rural areas of Africa.

• Direct relationships are established with consumers through agents.