E-commerce in Benin

E-commerce

E-commerce market

E-commerce is still in its infancy in Benin, as the country lacks adequate ICT and online payment infrastructures, as well as proper regulations (the government has included the objective to develop e-commerce in its Action Plan).
According to the Digital 2019 report by Hootsuite and WeAreSocial, online payment is barely used in Benin: only 4.5% of the population has purchased on the internet or paid bills online, with 6.1% of the population having a credit card (however, 18% have a mobile money account).
The UN Conference on Trade and Development 2018 B2C e-Commerce Index ranks Benin 138th out of 151 countries and 33rd in the African continent for its readiness and capacity to support online trade. B2B e-commerce is also almost non-existent.
Most payments are made by cash on delivery, however the government is planning to implement a national platform for electronic payments (PNPE) in order to connect financial institutions and mobile money providers.