Data Dunk Tales

 As a consultant working closely with IT companies, I’ve seen how Europe’s economic difficulties are impacting businesses here. For years, Tunisia has been a trusted partner for European companies, particularly in France, Italy and Germany, where they have relied on Tunisian talent for cost-effective IT services. However, Europe is now facing serious economic challenges, including slow growth, high inflation, and reduced consumer spending, which are starting to affect Tunisia, especially in terms of IT employment. Europe’s struggles are real. The European Central Bank has reported that inflation is high, growth is stagnant, and political uncertainty continues to create hesitation among businesses. As a result, European companies are cutting costs and putting many non-essential projects on hold, including IT services. This has led to a significant drop in demand for the kind of services Tunisian companies provide. From my perspective, having worked with several clients and friends i...

After seven years of operations, Jumia E-Services recently announced its decision to exit Tunisia by the end of the year. This move is part of a broader strategy to focus on markets with strong growth potential and to improve profitability. As someone who follows the dynamics of e-commerce in Africa, I couldn’t help but wonder: why did Jumia, a major player in African e-commerce, decide to leave Tunisia? The reasons behind Jumia’s exit are rooted in a combination of internal challenges, management missteps, and specific conditions of the Tunisian market. In an interview with Reuters, Jumia's CEO, Francis Dufay, said the Tunisian market no longer aligned with the company's broader strategic goals. Tunisia accounted for only 2.7% of Jumia’s global orders—a figure that just wasn’t substantial enough for a company operating at such a large scale across Africa. The decision to refocus on higher-growth markets like Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya is part of a strategy to curb the successiv...