E-commerce in Chad

E-commerce

Internet access

According to the Digital 2019 report for Chad by Hootsuite and WeAreSocial, out of a population of 15.6 million people, only 5% have access to the internet (mostly located in urban areas). In the country there are around 5.7 million mobile subscriptions, however only 4.6% of the population are mobile internet users. The country has poor internet infrastructures, with just 19% of mobile connections having broadband access (3G and 4G). According to the Mobile Connectivity Index 2018, Chad has an overall index score of 18.7% out of a maximum of 100%.
In Chad, a mere 0.8% of the population are active social media users (of which 92% login via mobile). The country’s Facebook total advertising audience amounts to 130,000 people, with much lower audiences for Instagram and Twitter (19,000 and 3,200 ,respectively), while there are 30,000 active LinkedIn profiles (data WeAreSocial). However, social media was blocked by the government during 2018, thus users must use Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access most platforms. There have been widespread speculation that the government of Chad monitored private online communications, and that activists were arrested for postings on social media.

E-commerce market

E-commerce is almost non-existent in Chad as low bandwidth and low internet penetration rate hamper internet entrepreneurs and shoppers. The government is trying to improve the situation by working on a fiber-optic connectivity via Cameroon, Algeria and Sudan, and in 2015 it approved several laws to regulate cyber security and online transactions.
Only 3% of people aged 15 or more have credit cards and 15% have mobile money accounts (World Bank Financial Inclusion data). A mere 2.5% purchases online. Online payment is not yet available in Chad. However, through Tigo Cash and Airtel Money services, consumers can pay their electric bills, purchases at shops and transfer money using mobile phones.
The country has only one online marketplace, MossoSouk, which was launched in 2016. The platforms offers car rental services and small items for purchase, and is currently limited to the capital N’Djamena. Another platform - DaariShop - has been recently launched, offering food products, medicaments and construction materials. At the moment, there is no B2B or cross-border e-commerce in Chad.
Some digital advertising and marketing are done through social media sites (though users require a VPN to connect to social media platforms).