Kihara loading a display bucket with beans at his shop in a rural remote area of Kiambu County, Kenya. Copia takes mobile-phone orders for goods ranging from kitchen appliances to tinned food and delivers them to remote parts of Kenya within about two days at no extra cost. — Photos: Bloomberg
In the three years since becoming an agent for mobile e-commerce company Copia Global Inc, Samuel Kihara has boosted revenue at his general store fivefold, opened a second shop, bought land and a truck and moved his children to private school.
"The commissions I earn as a Copia agent have been my working capital,” Kihara, 48, said as he stood in green overalls at his small shop in Kawaida, a village 23km north of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. "All this has been possible due to money from the business.”
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Kihara loading a display bucket with beans at his shop in a rural remote area of Kiambu County, Kenya. Copia takes mobile-phone orders for goods ranging from kitchen appliances to tinned food and delivers them to remote parts of Kenya within about two days at no extra cost. — Photos: Bloomberg
Copia branded bags of sugar sit on display at the shop of Samuel Kihara, a Copia Global Inc agent, in a rural remote area of Kiambu County, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Samuel Kihara, a Copia Global Inc agent, serves a customer with an order of beans at his shop in a rural remote area of Kiambu County, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Worker packing orders ready for shipping at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker arranges a pile of plastic chairs at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker prepares to pick items for an order at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. Copia takes mobile-phone orders for goods ranging from kitchen appliances to tinned food and delivers them to remote parts of Kenya within about two days at no extra cost. — Bloomberg
A worker prepares to pack an order into a dispatch box at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Workers pack orders ready for dispatch at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Workers track the status of orders with mobile devices at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker loads a delivery box with an order ready for dispatch at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Worker prepare to pack orders in branded plastic bags at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker scans the inventory code on a plastic box at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker stacks empty inventory boxes at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker wraps a plastic container as she prepares an order at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Workers preparing items for orders at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker drives a forklift to load a pallet of goods onto a delivery truck at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Worker load a truck ready for a delivery at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker loads a shopping cart with good to prepare an order at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
A worker moves sealed boxes containing inventory at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Worker load a truck ready for a delivery at a Copia Global Inc logistics and distribution hub at Tatu City Industrial Park, outside Nairobi, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Samuel Kihara, a Copia Global Inc agent, displays a bag of Copia branded sugar at his shop in a rural remote area of Kiambu County, Kenya. — Bloomberg
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
