Who we are
Who we are
Our Story
Where it all began
Copia, which means “abundance” in Latin, was founded in 2013 by Tracey Turner and Jonathan Lewis, two Silicon Valley veterans. Their vision was to bring the power of mobile commerce to Africans with middle and low incomes, transforming this historically underserved market into empowered global consumers.
Where we are now
Today, Copia is one of the fastest-growing retail enterprises in Kenya and Uganda, with plans of expanding into other African countries. With a network of over 40,000 digital-enabled Agents, 2 million customers and over 13 million orders to date, we provide a seamless shopping experience to all customers regardless of their income level, access to technology, or location.
Impact
Copia’s business model is designed to also help improve the standards of living in the local communities where we operate. 81% of our Agents are women, serving 75% of customers who are also women, and contributing to the financial well-being of their communities. We strongly believe that doing the right thing for our people, the communities we work in and the environment leads to better business results.
That’s why we maintain a strong commitment to our stakeholders through extensive support to our Agents, and delivery of quality goods and services to our Customers.
‘Copia is leapfrogging retail in Africa, and we are leaving noone behind.’
Our Vision
To bring the power of mobile commerce to middle and low-income Africans, transforming this historically neglected market into empowered global consumers.Market Need & Potential
In a population of 1.2 billion, 800 million consumers are part of the African mass-market. Consumer spending accounts for 60% of African economic growth, $680B of which is driven by the middle class alone. Due to poor road infrastructure, the distribution of goods to the low-income consumers is highly inefficient, resulting in fewer choices and higher prices. Copia provides a platform for them to gain easy access to a variety of quality products that are delivered affordably and at their convenience.
People who do not have internet access can now buy essential goods through our digitally enabled agents, USSD short code and frequently updated print product catalogues. Our e-commerce platform is designed to meet the specific needs of Africa’s middle to low-income households, saving them time and money.
With the significant growth in first-time e-commerce platform users across the Continent, Copia is uniquely positioned to leverage key African megatrends such as a rapidly growing, young population with increasing purchasing power, increased digitalization, improved infrastructure and mobile technology adoption.
‘We enable populations who may not have access to internet connectivity to make purchases through our digitally enabled agents. Where this is not possible, our frequently updated print product catalogues provide the solution.’
The Board
Senior Management
Our code of conduct
Governance
The Copia code of conduct outlines the guidelines for staff conduct. It also provides guidance on how to exercise good judgment in ethical matters. While the Code is specifically written for Copia employees and Board members, we expect members of our extended workforce (temps, vendors, and independent contractors) and others who may be temporarily assigned to perform work or services for Copia to follow the Code in connection with their work for us.
