Aramex says Sub-Saharan Africa is one of its fastest growing regions.
The products most in demand are electronics, apparel, toys and machinery for agriculture and auto parts. The company says it plans to double revenue from shipping these and other goods there by 2030.
But constraints on growth remain. For Aramex and also Afrety, customers mostly live in or near major cities, where relative wealth is concentrated.
That is because e-commerce in Africa is largely driven by economic hubs, according to Tech Cabal Insights, a consultancy.
Internet penetration has reached around 43% of Africa's 1.5 billion people, but only a small fraction have enough income to shop online, it says. Even in Nigeria, West Africa's economic powerhouse, only 1 in 3 internet users shop online.
In poorer regions like Central Africa, only about 1 in 20 people shop online, the consultancy says.
South Africa, the richest economy in sub-Saharan Africa, dominates the continent's internet use and stands alone in Africa for its level of online shopping.
Online retail volumes in South Africa have grown by close to 35% annually over the last five years to about 140 billion rand in 2025 ($7.26 billion), Mastercard figures show.
The growth has drawn big brands to set up their first operations in sub-Saharan Africa. Amazon launched its first online marketplace in South Africa in 2024, competing with local e-commerce giant Takealot.
The first Walmart-branded stores in Africa opened in Johannesburg last year.
When asked, neither Amazon nor Walmart commented on whether they were considering expanding to other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. They also did not respond to requests for data on sales volumes to intermediaries.
Even if the online giants remain absent from much of Africa, the intermediaries face other competition.
Nigerian retail company Jumia, often known colloquially as the Amazon of Africa, operates in eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa, selling consumer goods ranging from fashion to electronics to home appliances. It has yet to make a profit, but says it expects to break even this year.
Its Chief Executive Francis Dufay told Reuters that the company is fending off competition from Chinese retail giants including Temu and Shein by tailoring its services to each country, including opening local help centres and pick-up points in rural areas.
Executives at both Jumia and Aramex said Nigeria was among the African e-commerce markets with most potential.
The Nigerian government does not routinely publish e-commerce figures but has cited United Nations figures estimating the total at around $75 billion in 2025.
Aramex opened a warehouse in Nigeria in April this year. Jumia's Dufay said business there has grown by around 50% over the last quarter of 2025.
"It's still totally underpenetrated We're just at the beginning of our transformation In Nigeria," he said.
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