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Grace Ashiru
For Africans in the diaspora, accessing authentic African products—such as fabrics, clothing, spices, and art—can be a challenge. Their choices are often restricted to overpriced African stores in their communities, middlemen reselling on global platforms like Etsy with steep markups, or relying on travelers from the continent to bring what they need.
But what if they could order directly from sellers in Africa and receive their items within five days? GiriToday, a newly launched e-commerce platform, is working to make this a reality.
Founded in 2024 by former Flutterwave VP Wale Ayantoye and Ola Ajiboye, GiriToday serves as a marketplace that connects African artisans and entrepreneurs with international buyers. The platform allows sellers to list and ship products worldwide while supporting payments through both local and international payment systems.
Ayantoye’s vision for GiriToday was shaped by his experience as Director of Financial Crime Operations at Etsy, where he noticed persistent challenges for African sellers. Shipping delays often stretched up to two weeks, and middlemen inflated prices, making African-made products expensive for buyers. GiriToday seeks to resolve these issues by cutting out intermediaries, shortening delivery times, and making African products more affordable for global customers.
GiriToday: Revolutionizing African E-Commerce and Global Trade
For many businesses, Africa is often perceived as a high-risk market. However, GiriToday sees untapped potential. “At GiriToday, we are not afraid of digging for diamonds in the rough. We understand the terrain and are localizing our playbook to meet the demand,” said Wale Ayantoye, co-founder of the newly launched e-commerce platform, in an interview with TechCabal.
How GiriToday Works
GiriToday provides African merchants with a free platform to list their products while managing inventory, orders, and customer communication from a centralized dashboard. Similar to Shopify, it allows sellers to create customized online storefronts. Payments are processed via Flutterwave, while CourierPlus handles logistics and shipping.
To ensure trust and quality control, GiriToday has introduced a product authentication system to prevent the common issue of “what I ordered vs. what I got.” Before a product is listed, GiriToday verifies its authenticity and quality through a network of trained entrepreneurs. Currently, the company operates an authentication center in Lagos, where goods from across Nigeria are inspected before they are approved for sale. Over time, GiriToday plans to establish multiple authentication and warehousing centers across Nigeria and other African markets.
Beyond logistics, GiriToday takes an offline-first approach to merchant acquisition. Instead of solely relying on digital marketing and influencer promotions, the company engages sellers in local markets, runs TV and radio campaigns, and collaborates with merchant associations to drive adoption.
Ayantoye believes this approach will build stronger trust with potential customers. “If the first place a customer hears about you is through a skit or an influencer marketer, they might not take you seriously,” he told TechCabal.
How GiriToday Stands Out Against Anka and Etsy
Selling African products internationally presents a significant but underdeveloped opportunity. A McKinsey & Company report predicts that consumer spending in Africa will exceed $2 trillion within three years. Currently, much of this spending goes toward imported goods, but platforms like GiriToday aim to shift demand toward African exports.
The Nigerian diaspora, which contributes $20 billion annually to Nigeria’s economy through remittances, is a key target market for GiriToday. This demographic consistently demands products that reflect their heritage. “Immigrants are very predictable; they want to buy stuff that looks like home. And when they do, they buy in bulk,” Ayantoye explained.
GiriToday enters a space where Etsy and Anka, an Ivorian startup connecting African sellers with global buyers, already operate. However, its business model offers distinct advantages:
- Direct shipping & payment integration: Unlike Etsy, where African sellers face complex logistics and payment challenges, GiriToday handles shipping directly and integrates both local and international payments through Flutterwave.
- Regional focus: While Anka mainly serves Francophone Africa, GiriToday is focused on Nigerian merchants with plans to expand across sub-Saharan Africa.
- Eliminating middlemen: Unlike Etsy and Anka, where resellers often dominate sales, GiriToday ensures that African artisans sell directly to buyers.
- Faster delivery times: Etsy orders can take 1-3 weeks, and Anka typically delivers in 7-14 days. In contrast, GiriToday promises a 5-day delivery window, offering a competitive edge.
- Easier payment processing: Etsy mainly supports international payment systems, which can be difficult for African sellers to access. GiriToday integrates local and global payment methods, making transactions seamless.
Ayantoye believes GiriToday has the potential to challenge Etsy’s dominance in this space.
“What we are doing is breaking down Etsy’s middlemen. If we disrupt their market enough, we can discuss a partnership down the line,” he said.
GiriToday operates a multi-revenue model that includes:
- Transaction fees on product sales and shipping
- In-app advertisements for merchants
- Trade financing for bulk sales
The company earns a percentage-based fee on transactions, ensuring profitability on high-end goods while keeping margins reasonable for lower-cost items. Merchants can also pay for premium visibility on the platform through advertising.
One of GiriToday’s most ambitious revenue streams is trade financing—providing sellers with credit for bulk orders and earning interest on those loans.
This model is especially lucrative, as many African merchants struggle with upfront capital for scaling their businesses. By offering credit, GiriToday helps them grow while generating additional revenue.
“At the end of the day, it’s about creating a win-win situation—for us, for the sellers, and for the buyers. We want artisans to earn fairly, buyers to get authentic African products at great prices, and GiriToday to keep growing as the bridge that connects both,” Ayantoye said.
GiriToday is currently raising a $1.5 million pre-seed round to expand its merchant network, scale authentication centers, and enhance logistics operations. Discussions with investors are ongoing, with plans to scale the platform across Nigeria and into other African markets.
In the long term, GiriToday aims to:
- Expand beyond Nigeria into other African markets
- Establish multiple authentication and warehousing centers to streamline logistics
- Introduce financial tools to support African entrepreneurs with credit and working capital
With a clear market need and a differentiated approach, GiriToday is positioning itself as a game-changer for African exports—one that could redefine how the world shops for African products.
