#52: OLX Africa - How the Classifieds platform initially grew and eventually shut down across Africa
Afrobility: Africa Tech and Business - A podcast by Olumide Ogunsanwo and Bankole Makanju
Categorie:
Overview: Today, we’re going to talk about OLX - the classifieds & marketplace platform. We’ll explore the OLX Africa story across 4 areas:
- OLX's early history
- OLX's growth in other emerging markets
- OLX Africa's early history & Naspers acquisition
- Naspers OLX exit from Africa
This episode was recorded on June 5, 2022.
Companies discussed: OLX, Jiji, Craigslist, Konga, Naspers, Kalahariads, Dealfish, Pricecheck, Mocality & Tradestable
Business concepts discussed: Classifieds platforms, classifieds monetization, M&A strategy, e-commerce, social commerce, lift and shift business models & international expansion
Conversation highlights:
- (01:30) - OLX context
- (06:30) - How classifieds work
- (12:00) - OLX founding and early history
- (26:03) - OLX entry into other emerging markets
- (31:10) - OLX entry into Africa
- (45:32) - Product and monetization strategy
- (58:17) - Discussing OLX’s Africa exit
- (1:22:54) - Olumide’s overall thoughts and outlook
- (1:10:58) - Bankole’s overall thoughts and outlook
- (1:38:39) - Recommendations and small wins
Olumide’s recommendations & small wins:
- Recommendation: Microsoft 365. I’ve used it for 17 years and it just gets better and better
- Small win: Using my old Lenovo ThinkPad from 2016. My computer crapped out on Friday and so I had to dust the cobwebs and it still works
- Interested in investing in Africa Tech with Olumide: Read about Adamantium fund & contact me at [email protected]
- Founders looking for funding: If you're a B2B founder working on Education, Health, Finance or food, please contact me for funding at olumide@afrobility.
Bankole’s recommendations & small wins:
- Recommendation: Cryptocurrency 161, Reversion to the mean: the real long COVID - by John Luttig & Heartwarming story - Installing a payphone in my house
- Small win: 4 mile run after a long break
- Other content: Why I am leaving OLX - Fabrice Grinda, Margin Call - IMDB & Larry Tesler - Inventor of Copy and Paste
Listeners: We’d love to hear from you. Email [email protected] with feedback!
Founders & Operators: We'd love to hear about what you're working on, email us at [email protected]
Investors: It would be great to link up with you. Contact us at [email protected]
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