MoboFree hits 3.3 million African users, credits success to ‘social first’ approach

MoboFree, a mobile social marketplace that allows African customers to buy, sell, rent and swap stuff with trusted parties has officially reached 3.3 million registered users after just two years since launch. The bulk of its users are based in Nigeria, followed by Ghana and Zimbabwe.

“From the get-go we are a person oriented marketplace. Instead of adding in a social element to our service as an afterthought, we have focused on the social aspect of selling and purchasing from the very beginning and have made it an integral part of the MoboFree experience.” – said Neringa Kudarauskiene, CEO and co-founder of MoboFree.

MoboFree attributes its success to allowing buyers and seller to interact with each other in a safe, secure environment. Users can connect directly through social networks alongside classifieds postings, whereby people can see purchasing history, social reviews and common friends. Users can have private conversations or contribute to the platform’s forums. This means that there is a social filter of sorts that helps buyers make the right purchasing decisions.

Kudarauskiene notes that traditional online classifieds’ boards focus on the items for sale, rather than the relationship between buyer and seller. MoboFree allows classifieds to take on a more personal dimension. She adds that in countries where people are still weary of online shopping and “going to meet a stranger with a few bucks in your pocket” gives MoboFree an extra layer of trust that users truly appreciate.

MoboFree which previously received funding from the eVA Fund, supports both smartphones and feature phones, bringing in 3000 new registered users each day. The company states that the platform receives 70-million page views each month.