Facebook has launched the Marketplace feature to 37 countries and territories in Sub-Saharan Africa. Currently available in Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia and Nigeria, Facebook Marketplace is a platform for people to discover, buy and sell items from others in their local communities.
The countries in the Marketplace program include Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, CAR, Comoros, DRC, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Western Sahara and Zimbabwe.
To discover things on Facebook Marketplace, users only need to look for the Marketplace icon in the Facebook app or visit Facebook Marketplace. Here, users will be able to browse listings that interest them and filter them by distance or category. They can also use the search box to find exactly what they are looking for.
To list an item for sale on the platform sellers can share a photo of an item, enter a product name, description and price, confirm their location and select a category. They can also choose to post their listings to Facebook Buy and Sell Groups. Interested buyers will find the item they are looking for and message the sellers directly through Messenger. They can decide on the payment method depending on their own preferences.
Tips on buying and selling responsibly on Facebook Marketplace
1. Commerce Policy: Items, products or services sold on Facebook must comply with Facebook Community Standards, as well as Facebook Commerce Policies.
2. Choose Your Preferred Payment Method: Buyers and sellers may offer or accept cash, Cash on Delivery (COD) or person-to-person (P2P) payments. If you choose to pay electronically using bank transfer or money order solutions, avoid payment links and log in directly through the payment method’s website. Keep in mind that personal checks or bank drafts can be counterfeit.
3. Meeting in person: If you are meeting someone in person, Facebook recommends arranging your meeting in a public place. If you choose to meet at someone’s home, consider bringing another person with you or share your meeting plan with friends or family.
Commenting on the launch, Facebook Director of Public Policy Africa Kojo Boakye said, “Increasing the availability of Marketplace to 37 more countries and territories in Sub-Saharan Africa reinforces our ongoing commitment to helping connect communities and support buying and selling through one simple online destination. The expansion of Marketplace will provide more people with a convenient destination where they can discover new products, shop for things they want, or find buyers for the things they want to sell.”