Ivory Coast-originated e-commerce platform ANKA, which began as a digital marketplace for African-inspired fashion under the brand Afrikrea, has been officially acquired by US-based firm Global Shop Group, signalling a pivotal moment in Africa’s expanding digital economy.
Founded in 2016 by entrepreneurs Moulaye Tabouré, Abdoul Kadry Diallo, and Luc Perussault-Diallo, ANKA evolved beyond its initial marketplace function to develop an integrated suite of services including ANKA Pay, a cross-border payment solution, and ANKA Shipping, a logistics arm designed to address the persistent challenges of intra-continental and global delivery networks. This tripartite offering positioned ANKA as a full-stack digital infrastructure serving African creative entrepreneurs.
To date, the platform has processed over US$60 million in cumulative transactions, connecting over 22,000 sellers—predominantly based across 47 African countries—with buyers in more than 170 countries globally. These merchants range from fashion designers and artisans to lifestyle brands that reflect a rich and diverse cultural heritage. Importantly, ANKA’s presence is not only pan-African but diasporic, extending its footprint into North America, Europe, and the Caribbean, where African-made goods and narratives continue to gain increasing resonance.
Having secured US$13.5 million in venture funding since its inception, including a US$5 million round in September 2023, ANKA has stood as a leading example of African tech entrepreneurship that balances commercial viability with culturally-rooted value creation. Rather than functioning merely as a conduit for consumerism, the platform has served as a digital ambassador for a multiplicity of African expressions and innovations.
Speaking on the acquisition, co-founder and CEO Moulaye Tabouré stated: “We built the infrastructure for global African commerce. To accelerate, we needed to move beyond technology.” This statement reflects a recognition that while digital tools provide essential scaffolding, long-term growth within African markets also requires strategic partnerships, supply chain sophistication, and broader institutional capacity—areas that an acquisition such as this may seek to enhance.
The purchase by Global Shop Group marks its first foray into the African e-commerce sector, signifying a shift in how international stakeholders view the continent—not simply as a market, but as an innovation engine in its own right. However, this transition also raises important questions regarding the sustainability of African ownership in the digital space and the necessity of ensuring that such acquisitions continue to prioritise African agency, equity, and representation.
What distinguishes ANKA from many of its counterparts is not simply its technological offerings, but its human-centred approach to African commerce—facilitating growth for small and medium-scale sellers who might otherwise be marginalised by more extractive global platforms. This acquisition will likely be interpreted as both a validation of ANKA’s achievements and a test of how global capital can responsibly engage with African-led enterprises without diluting their vision or mission.
As African economies increasingly digitise, stories like ANKA’s are essential in reshaping the continent’s global narrative—not as a passive recipient of technology but as an active originator of solutions tailored to its contexts. This acquisition, therefore, exists not merely within the economic realm, but within the broader discourse of sovereignty, scale, and the future of African entrepreneurship in a globally interconnected system.
For more information, visit ANKA and Global Shop Group.
