Kenyan startup Novcart has launched its e-commerce software that allows SMEs to sell online at affordable rates.
The Mombasa-based Novcart aims to unlock value for SMEs and widen their selling horizons with its platform, which went live in December.
“Every day, thousands of businesses go online, however e-commerce websites can be costly and take a long time to get built.This is a big turn-off to businesses. Our platform enables one to create an online store in minutes,” the startup’s chief executive officer (CEO) Abdi Warfaa told Disrupt Africa.
The industry leader in this space globally is Shopify, while Novcart also has more local competition, but Warfaa says the startup’s competitive edge is in “localising the platform”. Bootstrapped for now, he is focused on building the platform and helping customers improve their businesses.
“The uptake has been overwhelming. We have a good number of sign-ups every day,” Warfaa said.
“We launched in Kenya, and currently have plans to make our platform available for Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. By next year we are hoping to reach the entire continent.”
