The Grinders Table
RESHARE: Scaling E-Commerce in Africa: Insights from Jumia's Ex CEO - Massimiliano Spalazzi
Published: 31 March 2025 at 09:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
In this reshared episode, Uwem speaks with Massimiliano 'Massi' Spalazzi, former CEO of Jumia Nigeria and early employee who helped scale the company to become Africa's first tech IPO on the NYSE.
Key highlights:
- The origins of Jumia in Nigeria and early challenges of building an e-commerce pioneer
- How Jumia introduced cash-on-delivery to transform online shopping in a low-trust environment
- Building specialized teams when talent was scarce and the impact on Africa's tech ecosystem
- Balancing scale, growth and profitability across African markets
- Leadership lessons from managing distributed teams across the continent
Whether you're building an e-commerce business, scaling across African markets, or interested in the evolution of tech in Africa, Massi's insights remain essential listening for entrepreneurs and business leaders.
