Morocco: Ministry of Handicrafts partners with Jumia to boost online sales

Moroccan ministry of handicrafts has teamed up with Jumia e-commerce platform to help artisans sell their products online and alleviate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, which affected the craft industry as other sectors of the economy of the North African Kingdom.

Thanks to the agreement sealed lately with Jumia-Morocco, the leading online retailers will enable the craftspeople to use its digital platforms to market their products and have access to millions of internet shoppers.

The partnership aims to support the handicraft trade, artisans, cooperatives and small businesses operating in the sector. They will benefit from Jumia’s wide distribution network, logistics, electronic payment system and services.

The craft sector employs 20 pc of Morocco’s work force, encourages the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, and promotes regional development in a sector that accounts for 7 pc of Moroccan GDP. More than 2.3 people work as artisans in Morocco where women represent 80 pc of the workers in the handcrafting sector.

The Moroccan government has worked out a strategy to improve the way artisans work and thus increase their incomes while keeping alive ancient skills and a rich tradition of a centuries-old artisanship.