In a bid to transform cross-border trade, boost economic empowerment across the continent, and tap into the growing global demand for authentic African products, two tech entrepreneurs have unveiled "Giri Today," an e-commerce platform designed to connect African artisans and businesses with international buyers.
The platform, now in its final stages of development, was founded by Wale Ayantoye, a former Global Head of Product Compliance & Risk Management at Flutterwave, and Ola John Ajiboye, a Software engineer at Amazon Web Services.
According to the founders, the name, "Giri Today" is a combination of a Yoruba word "Giri," meaning quick or efficient, with "Today," representing a global reach.
Speaking during a virtual pre-launch of the platform, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the platform, Wale Ayantoye, said the launch comes at a time of increasing global interest and demand for authentic African food, crafts and fashion.
According to him, Giri Today is not just another e-commerce site but a platform that offers free product listings for African artisans and businesses for a global audience.
He said, "Our goal is to empower African sellers to reach global markets while fostering innovation, sustainability, and economic growth. One of the things that we're trying to eliminate, especially for those of us in the diaspora, is intermediaries.
"By eliminating intermediaries, GiriToday ensures competitive pricing, authenticity, and quality, creating a trusted marketplace for global buyers.
"Regardless of where you are, in Germany, UK, Finland,US,or in Canada, you should be able to shop authentic African products at the local price without any kind of friction whatsoever."
Explaining how the platform works, Co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Ola Ajiboye, said, "One of the things we are leveraging currently is artificial intelligence and machine learning, including generative AI, to connect buyers and sellers seamlessly. Imagine being a buyer outside Nigeria, like me, wanting to stay connected to your roots. Giri Today allows you to shop as if you were still on the continent, offering a seamless experience.
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"Traditionally, sellers rely on social media to find buyers which is like casting a wide net on a deep vast ocean. But with our algorithms, we are able to streamline that process. We bring high-intent buyers directly to their storefront, increasing their chances of success."
They called on local entrepreneurs and businesses to be among the first to showcase their products on the platform.
