Diving into the world of e-commerce, we have Mr Omoyibo Okemena, who is a seasoned e-commerce specialist and the founder of SmartMarketMall LTD. He has successfully built an e-commerce business that has generated millions of Naira in revenue in the past 12 months. We are fascinated by his pace as he is currently expanding his business to serve not just African countries but also the UK and EU.
The 37-year-old entrepreneur and e-commerce specialist has garnered groundbreaking results and is willing to share his journey in this interview. It’s thrilling to read success stories birthed by determination, consistency, and hunger to create impact and generate results.
You may have wondered, has the journey been smooth so far? How did he become an e-commerce expert across continents? What lesson can you learn from his story? Read and find out.
Can you give us a brief overview of your background before transitioning into e-commerce?
Before transitioning into e-commerce, I was a full-time performance marketer and an online trainer. As I grew my digital marketing prowess, I founded an e-learning platform that successfully trained over 6000 small and medium business owners In Nigeria and Ghana.
My team and I passionately taught businessmen and women both in Nigeria and Ghana how to leverage social media and digital platforms to kickstart their export businesses. We taught them the ABC of African foodstuff exportation to the US, UK, Canada, etc, how to find international buyers for their African products using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, and B2B websites, as well as how they can go about registering their products with regulatory bodies such as NAFDAC.
What year did you start selling online, and what motivated you to transition into building one of the most successful e-commerce brands across Africa?
I began selling online as far back as 2018, eager to explore the online selling space. Unfortunately, my efforts proved abortive after 3 months of trial with no single sale. I was discouraged, so I quit.
Soon after that unfortunate experience, I started working for a friend who was successfully running an e-commerce business selling fabrics. Working for him exposed me more to the world of e-commerce, I gained hands-on experience and was ready to try again.
In 2023, I started my e-commerce business no longer as a newbie, but as a specialist, and together with my team, we developed a solid business model with tested strategies; we launched a product in April of that same year.
Between April and December 2023, we aggressively pushed the products, and we expanded our sales to 3 other African countries. What started as a failure in 2018 evolved into a thriving business across Africa.
Was there any particular challenge or experience you would love to share with us as regards your journey into the e-commerce industry?
Yes!!! In fact, imagine someone advertising a product to you and they do not have a walk-in shop. I mean, buyers are still insecure even in 2025 because we live in a society where internet scams are rampant in Africa now compared to when I started, it is even worse. It was a big challenge building and gaining the trust of customers. To gain customers’ trust, we adopted the payment-on-delivery model, also known as the cash-on-delivery model. This model generated another challenge for my team and me because the logistics in Nigeria and Ghana were a problem. To solve that problem, we partnered with local suppliers and logistics partners in each country, which gave us both speed and trust on the ground.
To be honest with you, the payment on-delivery model also gave us customers who sometimes abandoned their orders because they ordered the product before they committed a dime for it. You see, it was not all rosy.
One of the recurring challenges we’ve encountered involves issues with delivery partners. For instance, we experienced a case in Botswana and even here in Nigeria where a delivery agent absconded with both our products and cash. Situations like these have affected trust and operations.
Additionally, navigating customs processes in some West African countries can be unpredictable. There have been instances where our products were delayed without any clear explanation, causing disruptions to our supply chain and customer satisfaction.
What was your big breakthrough like? If possible, give us the figures.
One of our biggest breakthroughs happened in 2023 when we launched a new product in the car and gadget niche which we sold across Africa. In just 40 days, we generated over 10 million in revenue, selling 140 units of these products in Nigeria and Ghana. Eventually, we expanded that product into 6 other African countries. This launch wasn’t just a win; it validated our product research process, and that led the path for further wins.
But here’s what most people miss..
That “overnight” success? It came after five long years of trial, error, failure, learning, rebuilding, and showing up.
2019 to 2023, do the math. That’s 1,825 days of not quitting.
People want quick wins. But real growth isn’t rushed.
If your first year seems like nothing good is happening, do not fret; that’s exactly what it’s supposed to feel like. The ones who win are the ones who stay in the game long enough to earn their breakthrough.
The lesson?
You don’t rise to the level of your dreams, you fall to the level of your systems, your habits, and your patience.
Your breakthrough won’t come by force.
It’ll come because you’ve earned the right to receive it.
You have sold products across Africa. Are there specific strategies that helped you penetrate these markets remotely?
Yes! One thing you must know about e-commerce as a business is that “you mustn’t run out of strategies,” so we have tailored strategies to penetrate remote markets. To be specific, we heavily rely on performance marketing through Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok ads. We tailor our creatives, landing pages, and offers to resonate with each local market. Also, instead of shipping internationally, we partner with local importers and fulfillment teams in each country, allowing us to deliver within 1–3 days and collect payments in local currency through cash on delivery.
We also ensure that our products are of high quality and are needed by customers at that time. Because it’s payment on delivery, customers check products before making payments, so if you deliver fake products, you will have a truckload of unwanted products. We sell quality, and that, too, is a working strategy, don’t you think? Yeah, absolutely a much-needed one.
How many people have you trained so far to gain ground in the e-commerce and export business?
Between our e-commerce mentorship programs and export training, we’ve trained over 6,000 people across Africa. Many of them have gone on to launch successful export businesses, building thriving e-commerce brands, as well as leveraging digital skills to sell their products online.
Oh, trust me, this is one of the best parts of my journey. Making money and creating an impact on others.
E-commerce is always changing. What strategies or habits have helped you and your team stay successful and continue growing, especially now that you’re expanding into European markets
Constantly learning and adapting to new trends is one of our biggest strategies. Currently, I just joined a mentorship program focused on leveraging platforms like TikTok Shop, TikTok Shop Affiliate, and Amazon FBA to be able to reach billions of customers globally. This is especially needed now because we are currently expanding into the UK and European markets. Daringly, we have registered Smart Market Mall UK Limited, and we’re now partnering with fulfillment companies to reach European customers faster.
Our key strategy has always been flexibility, understanding the market deeply through constant research, partnerships, and a fast execution process. We also invest resources in hiring A-players in our team to leave our customers with the best experience.
Looking ahead, kindly share with us your big aspirations and goals as regards your business growth and how much you want to evolve in the next 5 years.
Looking ahead, I have an ambitious vision for SmartMarketMall over the next five years.
I see it evolving into a powerful pan-African and pan-European brand, actively serving diverse markets across both continents. Our mission is to become a key driver of digital trade and innovation in Africa and beyond.
We’re currently working on launching our own line of branded products, while also expanding our eLearning academy. Beyond exportation and e-commerce, our curriculum will soon include cutting-edge courses on artificial intelligence, AI automation, and practical ways SMEs in Africa can leverage AI agents to grow faster and operate more efficiently.
In addition, we’re building a tech-driven platform designed to help local suppliers scale beyond borders giving them the tools, visibility, and infrastructure they need to thrive in the global marketplace.
It’s straight to the top from here, you know; we are looking forward to more growth and opportunities.
Any final words that have kept you going? Share with us.
Listen, “Results take time, but they always come to those who are determined to endure and not quit”
I’ve learned that success isn’t only for the most talented, it’s also for the most consistent. There were times when things felt slow, uncertain, or even frustrating. But I kept showing up, kept testing, kept learning, and most importantly, I kept moving.
The truth is that most people stop too early. But if you can stay consistent long enough to gain clarity, long enough to build momentum, and long enough to learn from every mistake the breakthrough eventually comes.
So my advice? Bet on yourself. Stay in the game long enough to earn your breakthrough. And when it comes, use it to help others win too.