The company will also shutter services across other operating countries including Nigeria, Kenya and Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Uganda, and Algeria.

Jumia CEO, Francis Dufay, said on Wednesday the company will now refocus on its core physical goods business and payment platform.

He stated, “The more we focus on our physical goods business, the more we realise that there is huge potential for Jumia to grow, with a path to profitability.

We must take the right decision and fully focus our management, our teams, and our capital resources to go after this opportunity. In the current context, it means leaving a business line, which we believe does not offer the same upside potential – food delivery.”

The company further explained that a number of employees at Jumia Food will transition to the core physical goods segment

Their exit is coming after Bolt Food, another major player, also announced its withdrawal from Nigeria and South Africa, highlighting the harsh realities of the African food delivery landscape.