Nigerian online store Jumia struck a partnership with Mastercard to make cashless e-commerce possible in the continent. The announcement comes on the back of a growth of the e-commerce industry in Africa, which is believed to have a $50 billion potential in the next few years.

As online retailers try to innovate on solutions to attract new clients, the new partnership aims at creating a safe and quick way to enable cashless payments when the majority of online customers still pay for orders upon delivery. As reluctance to pay online is to blame for the high drop-out rate at the check-out phase, the platform will add a layer of security guaranteeing protection against unauthorized use of credit card. These types of solutions, according to Jumia co-CEO Jeremy Hodar are “necessary to unnloack the full potential of e-commerce in the continent”.