DFC

                                                                            Main navigation

      
      Who We Are
                            About Us
                      Overview
                      Careers
                            Hiring Paths
                      Career Paths
                      Events
                      DEIA
                      Contact
                      Our People
                            Executive Staff
                      Board of Directors
                      Development Advisory Council
                      What We Do
                            Our Work
                            Regions
                      Sectors
                      Initiatives
                      Active Projects
                      Investment Stories
                      What We Offer
                            Our Products
                            Debt Financing
                      Equity Investments
                      Investment Funds
                      Feasibility Studies
                      Political Risk Insurance
                      Technical Assistance
                      Work With Us
                            Where We Work
                      Investment Policies
                      Eligibility Checklist
                      Apply
                      Our Impact
                            Approach to Impact
                      Transaction Data
                      Reports
                      Transparency
                            Overview
                      Office of Accountability
                      Office of Inspector General
                      Media
                            Newsroom
                      In the News
                      Speeches & Testimony

                                Search...
                Keywords
Apply  Helping rural Kenyans and Ugandans purchase essential household goods
 Sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan AfricaMore from Sub-Saharan Africa

    
        Information and Communications TechnologyInformation and Communications TechnologyMore from Information and Communications Technology

    
        2X Women's Initiative2X Women's InitiativeMore from 2X Women's Initiative

    
        Global Health and Prosperity InitiativeGlobal Health and Prosperity InitiativeMore from Global Health and Prosperity Initiative
            Challenge

Limited physical retail infrastructure in rural East Africa makes it difficult for many low- and middle-income families to purchase essential household goods without traveling long distances. Online retail is also limited since many families lack either connectivity via smart phones, financial payment solutions such as credit or debit cards, or live in remote regions where delivery is challenging. Supply chain disruptions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic have compounded these challenges.

Solution and Impact

DFC has invested $10 million in equity in Copia Global, Inc., a nine-year-old e-commerce startup, to help it expand its online retail model with an emphasis on reaching the mass market consumer in Africa. DFC’s equity investment helped mobilize over $40 million of additional third-party capital to support Copia’s growth.

Copia employs a network of more than 38,000 sales agents, 81 percent of whom are women, to assist local consumers in placing their orders, which earns them a commission. Often these agents are local shop owners who provide a secure place where products are received from suppliers and then picked up by Copia’s customers. Today, Copia serves more than 450,000 customers a month across Kenya and Uganda, filling orders for basic food, personal care items, furniture, appliances, diapers, solar panels, home improvement products, and more.

Copia will use the DFC equity investment to expand and further digitize its business in Kenya, Uganda, and other markets in Africa.
 Follow UsStay connected with DFC news and updates!
Sign Up
      
        U.S. International Development Finance Corporation1100 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20527Info@dfc.gov | +1 (202) 336-8400
                            
                                                Footer - Quick Links 1
  

        
      White House
                      usa.gov
                      Office of Inspector General
                      Archived Reports
                      Privacy
                      Accessibility
                      Vulnerability Disclosure Form
                      Information Quality Guidelines
                      FOIA
                      EEO Office ×
 Keywords
Apply