If you use Facebook on a regular basis in South Africa, you’ve likely seen the Marketplace on the platform, where users can sell products to others. While it is sometimes used to grift or scam, as the case with many online marketplaces, the Facebook version does offer opportunities for people to find willing buyers.

To date, Facebook Marketplace was only available in South Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria, for those on the African continent, but now it is expanding to far more countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. 37 more countries/territories to be more precise.

That long list now includes Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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.

“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,” notes Facebook director of Public Policy for Africa, Kojo Boakye, of the expansion.

“As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact people and businesses, 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,” he adds.

Unpacking some of the key aspects for those using Marketplace in future, Facebook has outlined the following:

• “Commerce Policy – Items, products or services sold on Facebook must comply with our Community Standards, as well as our Commerce Policies. Sellers are responsible for complying with all applicable laws and regulations.
• 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.
• Meeting in person – If you’re meeting someone in person, we recommend arranging your meeting in a public, well-lit area. If you choose to meet at someone’s home, consider bringing another person with you or share your meeting plan with friends or family.”

With ecommerce booming in the pandemic era, the Marketplace will likely garner more interest from people and businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa looking for more affordable platforms to buy and sell goods.