In recent years, B2B ordering applications have multiplied across Africa, making all types of products more easily accessible to businesses. It's also an opportunity for professionals to sell more and respond effectively to new customer needs. Here are our tips for developing your ordering application!
A booming market in Africa
The increasing digitalization of commerce in Africa is driving companies to adopt B2B ordering applications to simplify their purchasing, optimize their supply chain and gain in efficiency.
What is a B2B ordering application?
A Business to Business ordering application is a digital solution that enables a company to place orders directly with other companies, such as suppliers, wholesalers or distributors.
This facilitates trade between professionals, as complex processes such as inventory management, raw material procurement, supply ordering and delivery tracking are automated and simplified.
These solutions offer many advantages to African companies. They save time, improve traceability, reduce human error and optimize supply chain costs.
Digitizing these operations isa real competitive lever for African companies.
Why are B2B ordering applications booming in Africa?
B2B ordering applications are experiencing strong growth in Africa, because they can respond effectively to the needs of local businesses:
- Simplified access to suppliers and wholesalers, making trade much easier.
- Automate ordering processes, reducing operating costs and human error.
- Optimize inventory management and logistics flows to better anticipate needs and shortages.
- Growing adoption of digital payments, such as Mobile Money, fintech solutions or cryptocurrencies, enhances transaction efficiency and security.
In a context of rapid digital transformation, B2B ordering applications are emerging as strategic levers for improving the competitiveness of African companies.
Sectors where B2B ordering applications make all the difference
The use of B2B ordering applications doesn't just concern a few isolated industries. They benefit all sectors of the African market.
Food processing and retail
B2B ordering applications are a great opportunity for supermarkets, restaurants and convenience stores. They enable them to order their products directly from wholesalers and local producers.
🔹 Examples: Twiga Foods (Kenya), Sabi (Nigeria), TradeDepot (West Africa)
Industry and construction
Construction companies and factories have major needs when it comes to ordering materials and equipment, and managing regular supplies. These tools are therefore widely used.
🔹 Examples: Wasoko, MarketForce
Health and pharmaceuticals
Hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, meanwhile, adopt these applications to simplify their ordering of medicines and medical equipment. They ensure that they always have stock on hand to meet urgent needs.
🔹 Examples: mPharma (Ghana), DrugStoc (Nigeria)
Transport and logistics
Companies in the transport and logistics sector use these platforms to book freight, manage inventory and track deliveries in real time.
🔹 Examples: Lori Systems (Kenya), Kobo360 (Nigeria)
Office supplies and IT equipment
This sector concerns many companies, including start-ups and large corporations, who use these applications to centralize their purchases of computer hardware, furniture and other professional equipment.
Key challenges in Africa
The adoption of B2B ordering applications faces particularities and challenges specific to the African market.
Firstly, the transportation of goods remains a major challenge , which unfortunately hampers the logistics on which these tools are based. We need to have a good understanding of the infrastructure in order to offer the right services.
Secondly, although there's plenty of room for manoeuvre and a bright future ahead, digital adoption by businesses is still lagging behind. As a result, some SMEs are still poorly digitized.
Thirdly, some suppliers do not guarantee on-time delivery or product quality. So it's imperative to choose the right suppliers for your application.
Finally, in Africa, Mobile Money payments and B2B credits are commonplace. It is therefore essential to include solutions adapted to African countries as payment methods in your application.
Steps to launch a B2B ordering application?
At Le Backyard, we've helped hundreds of customers create their ordering applications. Our experience confirms just how important it is to follow certain steps for optimal results:
1. Project scoping
Using the information gathered from our customer, the team defines the application's essential functionalities, the business issues to be taken into account and draws up a schedule.
2. Design and user experience concept
Designing an order application means thinking through every detail, from user needs to the ideal path to follow. This stage includes wireframes, definition of colors, typography and general navigation.
As experts in mobile integration, we focus on creating ergonomic applications.
3. Technical development (front-end and back-end)
This is where the developers come in. The front-end concerns the visible part of the application: what the user sees and uses. The back-end, on the other hand, manages the database, authentication and so on.
Depending on your needs, this phase includes testing and adaptability to the operating systems (Android, iOS, web) where your application will be available.
4. Functionality integration
Making an ordering application also relies on a key moment: connecting essential elements such as the ordering system, account management, notifications, payment, geolocation...
5. Tests and corrections
Of course, no matter how much thought has gone into getting it right the first time, that never happens! That's why it's essential to test it on different devices and in different usage scenarios.
This stage allows us to correct bugs, adjust certain interfaces and guarantee a fluid experience right from launch.
6. On-line launch and post-launch follow-up
Once the application is deployed on the stores or available in a web version, the Le Backyard team continues to support you.
Thanks to post-launch monitoring, it keeps a close eye on performance, so that any problems can be quickly corrected and service quality maintained.
How to successfully launch a B2B ordering application in Africa?
Developing your own ordering application isn't just about putting a product online. It's about building a truly useful tool for local businesses, designed for their day-to-day needs. Here are 6 points to bear in mind:
- Get to know users' real needs and design an application that really meets them.
- Integrate functionalities that streamline important operations such as inventory management, automated invoicing, order tracking and purchase history.
- Offer a variety of secure payment solutions, because in Africa, the diversity of payment practices is a reality. Here are a few options to consider: Mobile Money, bank transfers, deferred payments with supplier credits.
- Rely on reliable logistics partners to guarantee fast, secure product delivery.
- Set up a responsive customer service by phone, chat or email where companies can ask questions, solve problems or get help quickly.
- Rely on SEO and social networks to make yourself known to local businesses. Targeted campaigns are essential to reach the right people and ensure a solid start.
B2B ordering applications are profoundly and positively transforming purchasing and supply management for companies in Africa. They provide greater flexibility, speed and efficiency, while stimulating growth for SMEs and large groups alike.
Le Backyard has already helped a number of companies create their applications, including Marion Matériaux, Sodibo and Orange.
If you'd like to create your own B2B ordering application for the African market, contact us for a free consultation!
