World Bank Group’s private-sector arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), is backing Jumia Technologies AG with a proposed equity investment of up to $25 million as the African e-commerce giant seeks to accelerate growth, strengthen its digital commerce infrastructure and advance its path to profitability.

The investment, disclosed by IFC on Aug. 12, 2026, will support Jumia’s expansion across its core African markets, including Côte d’Ivoire, while strengthening its integrated marketplace and logistics network. The partnership reinforces Jumia’s role in Africa’s digital economy, where e-commerce platforms are increasingly becoming important infrastructure for small businesses seeking to access larger consumer markets.

Jumia’s growth strategy gains IFC backing

The proposed investment comes as Jumia continues its turnaround under CEO Francis Dufay, who has overseen a period of restructuring focused on improving operational efficiency, reducing cash burn and moving the company toward profitability. Jumia reported a 36% year-on-year increase in gross merchandise value to $279.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2025, while revenue rose 34% to $61.4 million.

The proposed $25 million equity investment will provide primary capital to Jumia, with IFC serving as the sole anchor investor in the private placement. The funding is designed to help Jumia sustain platform efficiencies and accelerate its growth across its core markets as the company works toward its profitability targets. Jumia has said it expects to reach adjusted EBITDA breakeven in the fourth quarter of 2026 and deliver full-year profitability in 2027.

Beyond the capital injection, IFC and Jumia are exploring advisory support covering shareholder engagement, environmental and social improvements, SME training and capacity building, and financing opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses operating on the platform. IFC also plans to provide expertise around strategic initiatives including vendor financing, warehouse solarization, fleet electrification and market-enablement programmes targeting women entrepreneurs, J-Force agents and gender-focused vendor education.

IFC investment targets 60,000 sellers

The investment is expected to preserve and expand access to digital markets for businesses and consumers across Jumia’s core African markets, with a significant share of the beneficiaries being micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

According to IFC, the project is expected to enable approximately 60,000 local active sellers to participate more fully in the digital economy, support around 1,800 direct jobs and create income-generating opportunities for more than 100,000 independent sales agents.

The impact extends beyond merchants. Jumia’s ecosystem includes independent workers such as J-Force agents, drivers and pickup-point operators, creating opportunities for income generation in markets where informal employment remains widespread. By strengthening access to online marketplaces, logistics networks and digital payments, the investment is also expected to help businesses reach customers beyond their immediate locations while improving product availability and price transparency for consumers.

Jumia advances path to profitability

The IFC investment comes as Jumia’s financial performance shows signs of improvement following several years of restructuring.

In 2025, Jumia narrowed its full-year loss to $60.1 million from $97.6 million a year earlier, while management maintained its target of reaching adjusted EBITDA breakeven by the end of 2026.

The company’s fourth-quarter 2025 revenue climbed to $61.4 million from $45.7 million in the same period of 2024, while gross merchandise value increased to $279.5 million from $206.1 million. Its operating loss also narrowed to $10.6 million from $17.3 million.

For 2026, Jumia projected GMV growth of between 27% and 32% and an adjusted EBITDA loss of between $25 million and $30 million, while reaffirming its goal of achieving adjusted EBITDA breakeven and positive cash flow in the fourth quarter.

The company’s strategy has included exiting markets and businesses that did not fit its profitability objectives. In February 2026, Jumia said it would exit Algeria while continuing to operate across eight markets, with management pointing to a more disciplined approach to growth and cost management.

Dufay leads Jumia’s next growth phase

Jumia, one of Africa’s leading pan-African e-commerce platforms, operates across eight African countries and connects more than 60,000 sellers with consumers through its marketplace, logistics network and payment infrastructure. Francis Dufay, who serves as Jumia’s CEO, is leading the company as it transitions from a restructuring phase toward renewed growth and profitability.

Dufay has positioned operational discipline and sustainable growth at the centre of Jumia’s strategy, with the company focusing on scaling its marketplace, improving fulfilment economics and reducing cash consumption.

The IFC investment provides an additional layer of institutional backing for that strategy, while its proposed advisory support could help Jumia deepen its engagement with shareholders, strengthen environmental and social practices and expand financing and capacity-building opportunities for merchants.

With IFC backing its next phase of expansion, Jumia is seeking to strengthen its position as a leading African e-commerce platform while demonstrating that a pan-African digital marketplace can achieve commercial sustainability and broader economic impact at scale.