MTN Group, Africa’s largest mobile network operator, today announces the signing of a strategic partnership agreement with Dooka, Africa’s first business-to-business (B2B) marketplace to automate the sourcing process of MTN’s long tail of indirect local spending.

The partnership promises a paradigm shift in corporate procurement on the continent, bringing the ease of consumer marketplace buying to companies across Africa. Dooka will boost MTN’s local supplier development initiatives, giving local suppliers – including women-owned businesses – the opportunity to sell to other customers on the platform, while providing MTN and other businesses with transparency in pricing and greater efficiencies.

“Our new relationship with Dooka is hugely exciting and brings efficiencies to every level of the supply chain. It stands to transform the way businesses operate across Africa,” says Dirk Karl, MTN Group Executive: Global Sourcing and Supply Chain. “It fits with our strategic priority to create shared value, a key component of which is greater localisation.”

Dooka CEO Toby Sparrow says it is a chance to revolutionise the supply chain: “Together with MTN, we can demonstrate that the right tools enable corporations to create jobs and support development and growth through good procurement. Dooka represents a new way to connect buyers and sellers across every industry. We are levelling the playing field so businesses large and small across Africa can transact as easily as if shopping at home and using the latest digital technologies.”

The partnership is a revenue-sharing one, which requires no capex commitment nor licence cost for its use by MTN, Dooka’s anchor client. There will also be no service fees for MTN suppliers until at least January 2024.