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🇨🇩 DR Congo /Economy & Trade

Online sales open opportunities for young entrepreneurs in Beni

From Radio Okapi · () French

Translated from French and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Young entrepreneurs in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, are using social media to market and sell products without operating physical shops.
  • Customers say online ordering makes shopping easier, while sellers use social-media posts and status updates as low-cost storefronts.
  • Traditional shopkeepers say they remain confident because customers value the availability of goods and the ability to take purchases home immediately.

For young people in Beni, selling through TikTok, Facebook and WhatsApp has become a way to do business without first paying for a shop. In a city where unemployment affects many young people, social media provides an accessible storefront for displaying and selling products.

I appreciate online sales. It makes it easier for me to order my products directly instead of going to the market. In all the purchases I have made, I have never been disappointed.

· Beni residentThe resident described the convenience and reliability of buying products online.

Some residents say they welcome the change. One customer said online sales allowed direct ordering instead of a trip to the market, adding that none of the purchases had disappointed him.

Young sellers describe a simple process. They post items on their social-media status pages, potential buyers ask about prices and item numbers, and orders follow. The approach lets sellers reach customers even when they have no physical store.

Online sales help us young people. Sometimes you have items and sell them online. When you post your items, people see them even if you do not have a shop.

· Young seller in BeniThe seller explained how social media functions as a storefront.

The new trade has not caused open conflict with traditional shops in Beni. A trader at Mayangose market said shopkeepers were reassured by customers’ continued confidence in them. Buyers, he said, value finding goods consistently available and leaving with their purchases.

We are reassured that our customers trust us because they find the goods consistently available and leave with those goods.

· Trader at Mayangose marketThe trader said traditional shops were not threatened by online commerce.
About this summary

Originally published by Radio Okapi in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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