Browsing: East Africa Business Council (EABC)

How digitization can scale up East Africa’s dukas and kiosks

Industry and Trade
  • Due to their small footprint, traders are located closer to consumers, along transport hubs and routes, or within local communities. 
  • Proximity also extends to knowing and stocking customer’s preferred brands and products and offering credit to loyal customers.
  • United Nations Economic Commission for Africa indicates that small and local retail transactions account for 70 percent of total transactions in Kenya alone. 

Across East Africa, it is not uncommon to see dukas and kiosks around every other street corner offering some of life’s daily essentials such as sugar, soap, tissue paper as well as bread and milk. 

While they may not seem like much, East Africa’s dukas and kiosks are the backbone of the economy, providing jobs and basic essentials to millions of people.

According to EuroMonitor International, these spaces for trading can range from as little as 1sqm up to 30sqm. Due to their small footprint, traders are located closer …