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Africa’s online marketplace Gigi will begin operations in Bangladesh and mark its first expansion outside the continent. The move aims to expand the country’s growth middle class, mobile connectivity, and the e-commerce sector, which is expected to reach $13 billion in seven African countries, including Ghana, including Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
Africa’s online marketplace Gigi will begin operations in Bangladesh and mark its first expansion outside the continent. The move covers the country’s growing middle class, mobile connectivity and e-commerce sector, which is expected to reach $13 billion by 2027, according to Payment and Commercial Market Information (PCMI).
Jiji operates in seven African countries, including Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana, with 12 million active users each month. The company says Bangladesh, which has 131 million internet users, offers similar growth potential.
Gigi competes against established players such as Daraz, Bikroy, and Ajkerdeal. To gain market share, the company will apply strategies that it worked in Africa, including a free user list, telephone company partnerships and localized services. Jiji was founded in 2014 and grew through acquisitions such as Olx Africa and Cars45. The company is profitable and considers emerging markets to be the next frontier.
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Gigi’s entry into Bangladesh shows that he will increase confidence among African startups to compete in other emerging markets. The decision follows years of expansion and integration in Africa, where Gigi has become a platform for major classifications and markets. The company currently applies playbooks (free onboarding, telephone company transactions, category-specific acquisitions) to Asia. Bangladesh’s e-commerce sector is growing, supported by the national digital policy and high internet penetration. In 2024, 79% of Bangladeshi consumers shopped online, and 47% said they were comfortable using digital payments. Jiu-Jitsu sees this as a strong foundation for market entry. Still, the company faces tough competition from established players with deep local knowledge. Success depends on adapting to local consumer behavior, building trust, and replicating partnership transactions like data-free access models with Airtel in Africa. As Jiji expands, performance in Bangladesh will be a key test of whether African-born tech companies can expand globally in other frontiers and emerging markets.
