Facebook has launched Marketplace, a place where users can buy and sell products in Uganda and 36 more countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Facebook Market place, people can discover, buy and sell products with people around them. Initially, Facebook groups and pages allowed users to post and buyers would visit those pages. However with the launch of Marketplace, users can now click on the icon on their Facebook wall and search for any products they want.
The other Sub-Saharan countries and regions where Facebook Marketplace was launched are;
Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Western Sahara and Zimbabwe.
In Marketplace users will be able to browse listings that interest them and filter them by distance or category. In case they don’t find it, then they can search directly and browse the results.
For sellers in Uganda who need to use Facebook marketplace, they need to; take a photo of their product, upload it, add a description, price and choose an appropriate category. Sellers can all also list the products in the various selling groups and pages.
Speaking on the Launch, Facebook Director of Public Policy Africa Kojo Boakye said this,
“Increasing the availability of Marketplace to 37 more countries and territories in Sub-Saharan Africa reinforces our ongoing commitment to helping connect communities and support buying and selling through one simple online destination. As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact people and businesses, the expansion of Marketplace will provide more people with a convenient destination where they can discover new products, shop for things they want, or find buyers for the things they want to sell.”
Buyers are allowed to choose their preferred mode of payment depending on the available options. Facebook advises users of Marketplace to take caution while making transactions. When you decide to meet, make sure you do it in an open place and do not go alone to someone’s home to make a transaction.
source: techbuildafrica
