Ulysse Agassin and Two Friends Launched an Online Supermarket, Letting Diaspora Communities Place Orders for Delivery to Loved Ones in Africa
Mes Courses Béninoises, a Franco-Beninese startup, has launched an e-commerce platform allowing diaspora members to easily order essential food and household products for their families in Benin. Headquartered in Cotonou, Benin, and Montpellier, France, the company was founded in 2021 by Ulysse Agassin, who Vincent Ferrera and Enki Roussel later joined.
Agassin explained to We Are Tech Africa that the service was born from his own experience as a Beninese student in France. "Like thousands of expatriates, I send money to my family every month. But the money is often quickly spent," he said. "In Cotonou, my family struggled to withdraw it on time—no nearby withdrawal agency due to poor connectivity, agencies closed on weekends, and you had to wait until Monday, so there was no way to make urgent withdrawals on weekends."
Currently, users place orders via the Mes Courses Béninoises website. Once completed, purchases are delivered directly to recipients. For residents in Benin, orders can also be made through WhatsApp, phone call, or the Gozem app. The startup plans to develop a dedicated mobile app in the future.
In a significant expansion, Mes Courses Béninoises opened a physical supermarket in Cotonou in March 2024. It offers a wide range of products at affordable prices with a fixed delivery fee of 700 FCFA (approximately $1.22), with plans for free deliveries in the future. The startup reports serving over 2,000 customers from the diaspora.
In the short term, Mes Courses Béninoises aims to develop its own delivery fleet to reach all localities in Benin. The company is also pursuing regional expansion, having already launched Mes Courses Togolaises in Togo and planning to expand into Côte d'Ivoire soon. Additionally, the startup is developing a B2B model for corporate clients, offering group deliveries to employees via a dedicated platform.
By Adoni Conrad Quenum,
Editing by Feriol Bewa
