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E-commerce through and through: My experience with Konga.com

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By Edward Mekoma, an estate developer, lives in Lagos

 

With the covid-19 pandemic still threatening global economies and altering hitherto established social orders, the world is looking to e-commerce as both today’s and tomorrow’s trade solution to overcome the drawbacks created by the pandemic.

Last December, in the midst of the pandemic and its many restrictions on movement, online purchase came in handy for my family. We had stocked up for the Yuletide but we needed to add more choice wines to our wine cellar and guaranty our power supply with a back-up generator. Having not been an e-commerce freak and still old-fashioned about shopping, my wife and I turned to our children for a guide in online shopping.

It was no brainer for them to recommend Konga as our surest bet. On matters of this nature, it was easy to trust their judgement. They are internet denizens and cyberspace is their playground. We had no locus whatsoever to doubt their recommendation or suspect their verdict. But why Konga? Almost in unison, they ran up a SWOT analysis of the top e-commerce outfits in Nigeria and concluded that with Konga, what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG).

They also added that while others may not only deliver a lower or substandard version of what was advertised, they are more likely not to deliver in good time. We trusted their judgement and decided to take the risk with Konga.

An assortment of bottles of wine and a generator was on our shopping list. Because as at the time we placed our order, the hours have raced from morning to afternoon, we had concluded that delivery would happen the next day or in the next 48 hours. But to our pleasant shock, we got our order delivered same day, in the evening which was our preferred option.

This was a pleasant shock. Knowing all the downsides listed by our children about delivery services offered by almost all the other e-commerce houses, we were ecstatic when the delivery man made a call and in a matter of minutes showed up at our gate.

Our shock did not end with the urgency in delivery. Guess who showed up with our order? A senior manager at Konga whom we have never met but was well known to us by reputation. So, why would you be the one to make our delivery, navigating through the often crazy Lekki, Lagos traffic to locate our address? We asked.

“All our delivery staff are on transit, making deliveries. This period is usually our busiest and I thought to make the delivery myself as I reckon you might be needing the services of the generator tonight,” he intoned, betraying no emotions but only exuding a rare sense of dignity in labour and professionalism. We could barely suppress our elation at such sense of duty.

He did not only make our delivery; he took time to give us a short tutorial on how to identify sub-standard generators in an apparent show of confidence in the product (a 7.5kva iTEC generator) he has just delivered. And then, another pleasant surprise: the 7.5kva iTEC generator was able to power the same appliances that a 9.5kva of another brand could not power which include the two air-conditioning units in our sitting room.

Suddenly, it was the turn of our children to say ‘we told you so.’ This singular encounter stirred an emotional and perception switch in me, especially with the sad tales usually told about online shopping in Nigeria. Making physical in-store bargains in Nigeria often presents some challenges, particularly challenges bordering on product quality. You could therefore imagine our apprehension when placing our order online.

But all that disappeared with the professionalism demonstrated by the Konga staff. Amazon is currently the largest online store in the world and by current rating one of the biggest companies on earth valued at $1.7 trillion. But, it has not always been so. Jeff Bezos, a rabidly unconventional character who pumped in huge cash into the business for over one decade when many people scuffed at his ‘folly’, has turned the table with a diversity of unique offerings and deliberate quest for customer satisfaction.

Obviously, Konga is building on pleasurable customer experience as one of its key strength. Making customer experience pleasurable is an essential ingredient in the success of any e-commerce company. Make the customers happy. Give them a feel good service. Treat every customer like a king or queen. If you have to break protocol to pleasantly surprise a customer, please do.

My recent experience with Konga despite the drawbacks associated with online shopping in Nigeria has eroded every cynicism. Customer experience more than anything else sells a brand. In this era of social media buzz and expanding internet penetration, a shabby treatment meted out to a customer will spread globally like wild fire. Same with giving a customer a pleasurable experience, it will trend and become a marketing tool for the company.

We were made to understand that such culture of ‘get the job done’ even if it means breaking protocol runs from top to bottom at Konga, a company that showed great promise at launch but later floundered until it was acquired by the Zinox Group which injected the philosophy of ‘innovation, quality service and promptness.’ In Konga, there is no boss. The real boss is the customer and every staff, from top to bottom, has ingrained this value into their work ethics.

This is why the value of devotion to duty and sacrifice to make customers happy by the staff of Konga is commendable. It’s the type of commitment that has shot top global corporations to the zenith. And this is the work ethic that makes Asians sought after all over the world – individuals rolling up their sleeves to do little things conscientiously in order to create big things. It is lacking in Nigeria where a manager considers himself a big man and therefore should not condescend to do the job of a driver even in moments of emergency. There has been reports that Konga is considering listing at the London Stock Exchange. It’s these positive attributes exhibited by its staff that would make it a huge success in the global arena.

Global e-commerce market is growing faster than anticipated. Valued at USD 9.09 trillion in 2019, e-commerce is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.7% from 2020 to 2027. This is further enhanced by the deepening of internet penetration and growing preponderance of internet-enabled smart phones.

In Nigeria, the number of active telephone lines has significantly increased from about 400,000 (analogue) in 2001 to over 204 million as of December, 2020. This a great leap forward and its direct implication is a boost for e-commerce. Going forward, the exponential growth in internet deployment and its concurrent expansion of broadband penetration is a plus for e-commerce and will ultimately drive indigenous e-commerce players into the global stage. For the old-fashioned analogue shoppers like us, Konga has given us a sense to believe and a reason to convert to on-line shopping.

Author: Edward Mekoma, an estate developer, lives in Lagos.


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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Vitel Wireless, First MVNO  Begins SIM Distribution

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Vitel Wireless, Nigeria’s first Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) has entered into partnership with Slot Systems Limited for distribution of its SIM cards and other gadgets around the country.

Vitel Wireless, First MVNO  Begins SIM Distribution

Chudi Nwabueze, managing director, Vitel Wireless who described the partnership as a defining moment for his company said Vitel Wireles’s purpose is clear: to transform connectivity in Nigeria  through innovation, affordability, and seamless access.

Nwabueze, who spoke in Lagos recently at the official engagement with Slot said Vitel Wireless, as the nation’s first Mobile Virtual Network Operator is committed to creating smart, reliable  solutions that break down barriers to communication and make it easier and more cost-effective for people to stay connected anytime, anywhere.

“This partnership with SLOT is a meeting of shared values and vision. By combining our innovative mobile services with SLOT’s extensive retail presence,  we are making Vitel Wireless SIM cards and the connectivity they offer more accessible than ever before. Customers will now be able to purchase, register, and  top-up their SIM cards conveniently within their own communities.”

He described the  collaboration as more than just distribution, ”it is about empowering  people. It is about bridging the connectivity gap with technology, accessibility, and affordability at the heart of everything we do.”

Nwabueze further explained Vitel Wireless SIM card is a location technology awareness card. It can track whereabouts of a person. This information can help the police, on official demand, in case of unfortunate incident.

He said the disadvantages of tracking a person’s whereabout outweighs the advantages.

He explained that access code is given to another person for tracking.

“We operate as a core network and we have integrated with all the major networks in Nigeria, including international calls. So, on a simple language, we are a GSM company, that you do call, SMS, data and we offer more value like safety. And the  good news is that we are spread out in the 36 States plus Abuja FCT in Nigeria.


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Digital Realty Nigeria Launches ServiceFabric Platform Today

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Digital Realty Nigeria, a carrier-neutral data centre operator, will be launching its ServiceFabric® platform alongside opening of its new LKK2 Data Centre in Lagos today.

ServiceFabric Platform in Lagos Nigeria, aligned with Digital Realty’s commitment to enabling seamless global interconnectivity for businesses, providing enterprise customers in Nigeria with the ability to connect whenever, wherever, and to whoever they need to.

Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, managing director, Digital Realty Nigeria, said that the presence of ServiceFabric in Lagos will support the growing demand for hybrid IT and multi-cloud connectivity, empowering businesses with a secure, software-defined interconnection platform.

“As you are aware, data is driving our world forward across every aspect of the economy. To unlock the opportunities of data we provide the meeting place for Companies, Technologies and Data to come together across Africa, one of the fastest growing continents, and in the process, we enable bold new ways to expand and grow,” he said.

Digital Realty’s global data centre footprint gives customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with over 300 facilities in 50 global metros across 25 countries on six continents. Digital Realty currently maintains client base of over 5,000 customers including over 1,500+ enterprises, 1,300+ networks service providers, and over 1,000+ cloud and IT providers. It offers datacentre services to 250+ of the Fortune 500 companies.


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Meta Refactors AI Strategy, Freezes Hiring to Focus on Superintelligence

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Meta Platforms has frozen hiring in its artificial intelligence division following months of aggressive recruitment, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The hiring freeze, which took effect last week, coincides with a broader restructuring of the company and restricts current employees from moving between teams within the AI division. The duration of the freeze has not been disclosed.

“There might be exceptions to the block on external hires, but they would need permission from Meta’s chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang,” the sources said. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the freeze, describing it as “basic organizational planning: creating a solid structure for our new superintelligence efforts after bringing people on board and undertaking yearly budgeting and planning exercises.”

Meta has been a leading player in the AI talent race, offering some researchers pay packages worth nine figures and acquiring startups to secure key personnel. Analysts have raised concerns over the high cost of such hiring, warning that Meta’s stock-based compensation could affect shareholder returns.

The restructuring divides Meta’s AI operations into four teams: TBD Lab, focused on superintelligence; an AI products team; an infrastructure team; and a long-term exploratory team called Fundamental AI Research. The reorganization follows criticism of the company’s previous AGI Foundations team, responsible for Meta’s Llama large language models, which underperformed expectations after its latest release.

After the Llama release in April, CEO Mark Zuckerberg became personally involved in recruiting, reaching out to researchers at OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and other labs. Offers sometimes reached $100 million in total compensation, with one overture to Thinking Machines Lab co-founder Andrew Tulloch valued at $1.5 billion, though he declined.

To strengthen its AI efforts, Meta also brought on Scale AI co-founder Alexandr Wang, former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman, and Safe Superintelligence co-founder Daniel Gross, with the company acquiring stakes in their ventures as part of the recruitment. By mid-August, Meta had hired over 50 AI researchers and engineers from companies including OpenAI, Google, Apple, xAI, and Anthropic.

Investor concern over the cost of tech giants’ AI expansions has contributed to a recent selloff in technology stocks. In an August 18 research note, Morgan Stanley analysts warned that rising stock-based compensation at Meta and Google could either drive AI breakthroughs or dilute shareholder value without clear innovation gains.


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