Zando leaves South Africa: 'Everything must go' sale now on!

It's reported that Africa-focused e-commerce retailer Jumia Technologies will close its South African online fashion retailer Zando and its Tunisian operations by the end of the year to sharpen its focus on its other markets.

Zando.co.za was founded in 2012 and has grown to become a well-known South African online fashion platform. In Tunisia, the business has been operating under the Jumia brand for a decade and selling general merchandise.

The closures mean axing about 110 jobs, CEO Francis Dufay said, but some may be relocated to other parts of the group's business.

"The trajectory of the countries did not align with the strategy of the group," CEO Francis Dufay said, citing complex macroeconomics, the competitive environment and low medium-term potential for growth and profitability.

"We believe it's the right decision. It enables us to refocus our resources on the other nine markets, where we see more promising trends in terms of scale and profitability," Dufay added.

The exit in South Africa comes shortly after the country's biggest online retail group Takealot announced the sale of its online fashion business Superbalist in September, amid increasing competition from fast-fashion Chinese e-commerce retailers Shein and Temu.

Pending its shutdown, Zando.co.za has an 'everything must go' sale with free delivery.