Young people across Kenya now have an opportunity to earn a living and rise from unemployment, with a chance to make up to Sh100,000 a month, thanks to a new program that the Jumia eCommerce platform has unveiled.
While Jumia directly employs 5,000 people across Africa, their marketplace supports the jobs of hundreds of thousands through sellers, logistics partners & sales agents. The expansion of Pick-Up Stations (PUS) in rural areas across Kenya is likely to see this number grow further.
The number of unemployed young people tells a difficult story. More than a third of Kenya’s youth who are eligible for work are unemployed. According to Census data released in 2020, 38.9 percent of the 13.7 million young Kenyans are jobless. However, private companies and digital platforms like Jumia have an opportunity to reduce this number, one youth at a time. The launch of the ‘Jumia City Partner Program’ in Mt. Kenya, Western, Nyanza, and Coastal regions is one such step to empower local businesses by boosting their revenues and providing better services to consumers.
“This partnership with Jumia has helped create employment for a lot of youth like myself and has expanded my eCommerce knowledge and enabled me to earn extra revenue,” said Jacinta Siago, a graduate from Kisii University-Main Campus who is now a Jumia pickup station agent in her shop at Mwalimu Sacco Plaza in Kisii town. “I have also managed to recruit two of my former classmates to support me in this new e-Commerce venture with Jumia making me the latest employer in Kisii town,” added Jacinta.
Entrepreneurs will earn up to Ksh 100,000 per month by partnering with Jumia as PUS agents (with their existing shops) and by helping customers place online orders on the eCommerce platform. The program will enable businesses in rural areas to earn additional income and serve as Jumia representatives in their respective regions. This will employ more young people through training in their towns to earn income via the Jumia JForce Program.
“Laptops, phones, groceries, and televisions are among the most ordered for products from Jumia to the underserved consumers in rural areas,” said Jacinta adding that customers save up to 50% on delivery fees by picking their orders from a pickup station shop like hers.
Students from institutions like Kisii University, Baraton College & Masinde Muliro University (MMUST) College in Kapsabet, Kenya Medical Training College in Webuye, Busia-Alupe University, Baraton College others, are among the early beneficiaries from this program.
University and College students are taking a huge piece of the pie on this program by registering in large numbers to be Jumia independent PUS agents. They have taken up a key role in educating the rural community by selling to the locals in the markets, schools & community groups.
The students play a key part in instilling confidence in the locals over online shopping, thus shaping Kenya’s eCommerce narrative.