Jumia aims for profit as it fends off Chinese rivals

Source: Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Jumia, which will operate in eight markets after exiting Algeria this month, has dropped everyday grocery items and food delivery and cut headcount in recent years to reduce costs.

Dufay said Jumia narrowed its full-year loss to $60.1m in 2025 from $97.6m in 2024, putting the company on track to reach breakeven on an adjusted core earnings (EBITDA) basis and positive cash flow by the end of this year.

He said the company had benefited from a more stable economic environment in its markets, including Nigeria, where inflation has been easing from record highs and the currency has remained stable since the start of last year.

"The growth rate of the company has been accelerating, we are really scaling, we grew 35% in dollars year-on-year in the last quarter," said Dufay.

He said Jumia's more efficient logistics and distribution network had strengthened its ability to withstand competition from Chinese e-commerce players including Temu and Shein, which have been expanding in Africa.

Dufay said Jumia had expanded its sourcing team in China, making the company more competitive on pricing.

Jumia's payment-on-delivery service also remains a strong draw for customers, he said.

"People thought they would eat our lunch, but it's not a home run that everyone expected. We can actually fight against those platforms in our markets," he said.