Egyptian startup Shobly is a specialised e-commerce enabler that empowers SMEs in the MENA region to establish and manage their independent online stores effectively. Founded in October 2021 by CEO Abdulrehman Ahmed and CTO Ali Dawood, Shobly makes it easy for SME owners to launch an online store to sell their products and services, and then manage that store going forward. “We identified a significant gap in the market specifically related to companies targeting the Middle East and the Arab world. However, we recognised that Egypt is a unique market with distinct on-the-ground and payment needs that have yet to be adequately addressed,” Ahmed told Disrupt Africa. To validate this opportunity, Shobly launched an MVP in early-2021, and successfully gathered over 1,000 interested sellers who expressed their desire to establish an Arabic online store, with some even making payments for the MVP.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 20, 2023 06:03 UTC