Ebrima Fatty, a Gambian entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in finance and technology, is connecting local producers, retailers, and consumers through a digital platform he created.

Fatty is the founder and CEO of AfricaSokoni, a London-based e-commerce company launched in 2017. The platform targets African markets, with a strong focus on Kenya.

AfricaSokoni, which means "market" in Swahili, links local businesses, producers, and artisans to regional demand. It also gives individuals easy access to a broad range of goods through its user-friendly online interface.

The platform supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), farmers, and artisans with tools for supply chain management, financing, and digital promotion. For everyday consumers, AfricaSokoni offers products in electronics, fashion, beauty, home appliances, and telecommunications.

AfricaSokoni integrates services like inventory management, stock tracking, automated orders, and supplier relationship management. The company also builds partnerships to help small businesses manage cash flow and access services like marketing, content creation, packaging, and logistics—even paving the way to international markets.

"AfricaSokoni is a comprehensive platform dedicated to empowering the MSME sector in Africa and helping businesses grow and thrive. If you are a small or medium-sized business looking to succeed in Africa, we invite you to join our platform and discover the many ways we can support you," the company says.

Alongside his entrepreneurial work, Fatty serves as a product manager at the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) in Saudi Arabia.

He earned his Master's degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria, in 2000.

Fatty began his career the same year at Deloitte as a senior auditor. In 2001, he joined the Gambia Capacity Building for Economic Management Project as financial controller. There, he worked on strengthening government capacity in economic policy, judicial reforms, and private sector development until 2005.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum