Founded by a Guinean IT specialist, the solution was launched to enable easy access to a wide range of products. It now claims a presence in four West African countries. 

Malian startup Sodishop, an e-commerce platform that allows users to purchase a variety of items online, was launched in 2019 by Guinea-born IT specialist Boubacar Biro Baldé. The platform, based in Bamako, offers Guineans the opportunity to order products from other countries in the sub-region, such as Mali, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire, with delivery in less than 72 hours.

“Our brand new Made in Africa marketplace now enables local Guinean brands to sell and deliver throughout Africa and anywhere else in the world,” Baldé explained.

The platform, whose Android app has been downloaded more than 10,000 times according to the Play Store, features a mobile application available on iOS and Android. While users can browse the platform without an account, one is required to place orders. The site offers a wide array of products, including food, computers, phones, gadgets, fashion items, hygiene products, and school kits.

Sodishop has integrated payment solutions such as Orange Money, Paypal, and bank cards like Visa and Mastercard. Speaking to Guineenews in August 2023, Baldé revealed that since its launch, the startup has processed over $4 million in orders and averages $500,000 in annual sales through its sellers.

“We are present in four countries in West Africa. Mali and Guinea since 2019 and 2020 respectively, Senegal since 2022, and we’ve been operational in Côte d’Ivoire since early 2023,” Baldé said.

Sodishop has received numerous awards, including the prize for the best online sales platform in Mali at the 2022 Africa Business Excellence Awards. That same year, it participated in the Top 35 MEST Africa Challenge Ghana. In 2023, it was selected as one of the Top 11 in the Afritech Startupbootcamp ASIP program, receiving technical support worth $750,000 and a three-month acceleration program in Dakar, Senegal.

Adoni Conrad Quenum