Tanda Brings Informal Market Traders Into Nigeria's Digital Economy

Nigerian startup Tanda is looking to bridge the gap between traditional market trading and digital commerce by helping informal merchants sell products online through a platform designed around existing market structures.

Launched last month, the platform enables traders, many of whom have never sold products online before, to create digital listings and reach customers beyond their immediate physical locations. Rather than relying on individual merchant acquisition, Tanda works directly with market unions and clusters, using established leadership structures to onboard sellers and build trust within trading communities.

According to founder and chief executive Vincent Ibekwe, the company’s model recognises the role that market associations already play in organising commerce across many African markets.

Building Digital Commerce Around Existing Networks

Tanda offers a range of tools aimed at making digital selling more accessible to merchants operating in informal markets. The platform supports product listings, local and remote purchasing, wholesale pricing for bulk buyers and resellers, escrow services and fulfilment coordination. It also includes voice and chat-based assistance designed to help merchants navigate the platform without requiring advanced technical skills. The startup’s goal is to bring more underserved traders into the digital economy while strengthening the connection between buyers and sellers at the last mile of commerce.

Addressing Long-Standing Barriers

Millions of merchants across Africa’s informal economy remain largely excluded from online commerce due to a combination of factors, including limited digital literacy, lack of trust mechanisms, weak logistics networks and onboarding processes that often fail to accommodate small traders.

Many existing e-commerce platforms have been developed with formal businesses and digitally experienced sellers in mind, creating barriers for merchants operating in traditional markets.

Tanda believes its approach offers an alternative by focusing on the realities of informal trade. Instead of building around individual storefronts, the company is using market unions as entry points while incorporating voice and chat features to improve accessibility for users with limited digital experience.

The startup is currently self-funded and has begun discussions with potential investors as it seeks capital to support future growth.

Tanda has started rolling out the platform within its target market communities and is onboarding merchants through its union-led structure. According to Ibekwe, early feedback has been positive, with the company now focused on monitoring merchant activity, transaction volumes, onboarding efficiency and platform performance as adoption grows.