A market racing ahead of its infrastructure

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Africa is set to pass the half-billion mark for online shoppers this year, yet many cities still lack formal street grids and house numbers. (trade.gov)

The Middle East and Africa e-commerce market already moves goods worth about USD 155 billion and is on course to top USD 300 billion by 2030, growing at more than fourteen percent a year. (mordorintelligence.com)

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The price of not knowing where the customer is

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Up to one order in five never reaches its destination on the first try because the courier cannot find the address, triggering extra calls, miles and refunds that crush margins. (fareye.com)

One of the biggest E-commerce companies in Africa's own filings show delivery costs that exceeded its gross profit in 2019, a vivid reminder that address friction can tilt an entire profit-and-loss statement. (ntu.edu.sg)

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Why street-based codes fall short

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Conventional digital-address systems tie a code to a plot of land. In Africa’s fast-growing suburbs the plot may change shape or ownership within months. Renters, mobile traders and gig-economy riders still end up without a dependable drop-off point.

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PickSpot’s handle-over-home model

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• Each user claims a persistent handle such as stacy@pickspot.world that lives on the phone.
• The handle links to any nearby PickSpot locker with one tap; when life moves, the handle moves.
• Couriers see a GPS-verified locker instead of a hand-drawn landmark, plan denser routes and deliver without phone calls.

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What merchants gain immediately

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• Higher first-attempt success: lockers remove the main cause of failed drops.
• Lower last-mile cost: riders cluster deliveries to lockers instead of zig-zagging door to door.
• Faster checkout: customers enter a memorable handle rather than typing directions.
• Nationwide reach: a single API lets merchants ship to every city that hosts a locker.

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What shoppers experience

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At checkout they choose deliver2locker and receive a QR code or PIN. The rider leaves the parcel at the locker tied to the handle; the app notifies the buyer, who collects at any hour. Travelling shoppers simply relink the same handle to a different locker before their next purchase.

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A virtuous loop for marketplaces

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Every handle claimed expands PickSpot’s coverage map, attracting more merchants, which drives more locker installations. Each real parcel that lands in a locker reinforces trust on both sides of the platform and fuels Africa’s e-commerce flywheel.

Persistent, mobile-first addresses turn last-mile chaos into predictable logistics. For African online retail that shift is not a minor efficiency; it is the missing keystone that converts booming demand into fulfilled orders, repeat buyers and sustainable profit.

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