Kerawa

Kerawa.com operates as a key online classifieds platform with a strategic focus on French-speaking African countries. Founded in 2008 by Cameroonian entrepreneur Nino Njopkou, the company was born from a simple need: a friend in Paris asking for the contact information of a furniture store in Douala, a request that proved difficult to fulfill and highlighted a gap in the market. Njopkou, a graduate of Centrale Paris, initially self-funded the venture for three years using his personal savings before leaving his job in 2013 to seek external financing, a process that took an additional year and a half.

The platform serves as an intermediary, connecting individual and business sellers with potential buyers across a wide array of categories. Users can post ads for goods and services, with popular sectors including automotive, real estate, electronics, employment, and events. More recently, Kerawa has expanded to include specialized categories for agribusiness and BTP/industry to better serve its user base. The business model is centered on providing a free basic listing service to attract a high volume of users, while generating revenue through premium services. These paid features allow sellers to enhance the visibility of their ads. The company does not participate in the final transaction, allowing sellers to maintain direct relationships with their customers.

A significant milestone in Kerawa's growth was the strategic acquisition of the leading classifieds site in Côte d'Ivoire, a move aimed at consolidating its market position and fusing the platforms to create a dominant e-commerce leader in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, the platform reported approximately 500,000 monthly visits and over 300,000 active listings. Njopkou's vision was to adapt a successful European business model, akin to France's 'Le Bon Coin', to the specific needs and context of the African market.

Keywords: online classifieds, Africa e-commerce, Francophone Africa market, Nino Njopkou, digital marketplace, classified advertising, P2P sales, online marketplace Africa, Côte d'Ivoire classifieds, Cameroon startups, consumer-to-consumer, business-to-consumer platform, job listings Africa, real estate ads, used cars online, agribusiness listings, industrial equipment sales, African tech, intermediary platform, online advertising services