By Juliet Umeh 

In a move to eliminate the digital barriers facing African small business owners, Nigerian SaaS platform, Tradift has launched an AI-powered feature that allows users to create fully personalized e-commerce stores in seconds only by describing what they want.

Founder and CEO of Tradif, Jeffrey Chidi, said the platform founded in  2020 was born out of a mission to democratize digital access for small and medium businesses across Africa.

Chidi said: “We have always believed that every African business deserves access to the global marketplace. But the traditional route, hiring developers, designing websites, integrating payment systems, has been far too complex and expensive for many small business owners. We’re changing that.”

How it works 

Chidi explained: “With the newly launched AI tool, users simply type a short prompt, such as “I want to create an online store for my fashion business and the system instantly generates a fully functional, tailored online store”.

The tool doesn’t just rely on templates; it intelligently personalizes each store based on the business type, audience, and even regional preferences across African markets.

“What used to take days or weeks with professionals now takes seconds. And it’s not just fast, it’s relevant, intuitive, and ready for real-world use.”

Tradift’s innovation arrives at a crucial time. 

He noted: “With Africa’s e-commerce market projected to reach $75 billion by 2026, and Nigeria leading much of the charge, the demand for accessible digital tools has never been greater.

“In addition to AI-powered website generation, Tradift offers a comprehensive suite of features tailored to the African context: Integrated local payment gateways, logistics frameworks adapted for challenging addressing systems, offline-capable inventory management and data analytics and marketing tools customized for regional consumer behaviour.

Chidi stated: “We designed the platform to address the specific hurdles African businesses face. From inconsistent internet access to mobile-first usage, our tools are made for real-life conditions.

“Launched just before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tradift quickly became a lifeline for businesses forced to go digital. The experience shaped the platform’s mobile-first design, resilient offline features, and rapid onboarding process.

“Since then, Tradift has helped thousands of businesses, from solo artisans to growing retail chains, establish thriving online operations. With users already in Ghana, South Africa, and now expanding into Asia and Latin America, the company’s ambitions are increasingly global.

“We are not just building websites, we are building a complete digital ecosystem where African and emerging market businesses can compete globally, without needing to be tech experts,” he added.