AliExpress, the e-commerce subsidiary of Chinese Alibaba, has partnered with a domestic firm as it prepares to launch an e-commerce platform in Ethiopia.
The Chinese retail giant signed a deal with MKTY IT Services Plc during a ceremony at the Skylight Hotel on August 22, 2024.
Chinese diplomats and senior government officials, including Yeshurun Alemayehu (PhD), a state minister for Innovation and Technology, attended the event alongside Geoffrey Jian, director of African operations for AliExpress.
The new partners have also unveiled a showroom in Addis Ababa and an operations warehouse is soon to follow, according to Markos Tilahun, managing director at MKTY.
Markos initiated partnership negotiations with Alibaba while he was studying in China as a recipient of a scholarship offered by the retail giant.
“This partnership signifies a major investment in the future of our country’s digital economy,” said Markos.
Jiang noted the showroom was the first of its kind in Africa.
“This launch underscores our commitment to bringing global e-commerce closer to African consumers and businesses, setting a new standard for digital trade on the continent,” he said.
Ethiopian Airlines is set to play a pivotal role in enhancing the logistics and delivery capabilities for AliExpress in Ethiopia.
MKTY is a leading IT solutions provider in Ethiopia with three decades of experience in the industry. The firm specializes in digital transformation and technology-driven business solutions.
“We are looking for other local partners, in terms of payment gateway facilitators with banks, deliveries and other parts of the ecommerce business,” Tilahun told The Reporter.
Source: AliExpress, local IT firm…
