QNet boosts direct selling operations in Tanzania

QNET Board Adviser, David Sharma; Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Children and Elderly, Hamisi Kigwangalla; Permanent Secretary for Trade, Industry and Investment Adelhelm Meru and QNet Country Representative for Tanzania Benjamin Mariki cut the ribbon during the opening of QNet agent office in Tanzania.

Optimizing its existing e-commerce platform, QNet currently has three accessible local agents in West Africa - namely Mali, Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. These agents serve as the liaison between the business, its independent representatives (IRs) and customers with their enquiries, delivery of products and the display of product range so as to enable people to view some of them sold online. The company says it is planning to engage a local agency in Tanzania soon to provide "the best customer service in the country".

“QNet is proud to be in Tanzania and is committed to working closely with the local government officials and authorities to create more entrepreneurial opportunities for the local community. Direct selling which is the marketing and selling of products directly to consumers away from a fixed retail location, provides people with a great alternative platform to join entrepreneurship,” said David K Sharma, advisor to QNet Board of Directors.

In addition to offering consumer products, including health, home care and online education courses, QNet believes in the financial freedom that a career in the direct selling industry provides, and believes that the people of Tanzania, with their ambition and strong sense of entrepreneurship, will appreciate the products that QNet offers and the business opportunities for self-development.

QNet started getting online purchases for its products from Africa since 2007. Today there are thousands of Tanzanian citizens who have also registered to market and promote QNet online products as IRs. Its top-selling products in Tanzania are health and wellness products, household items such as water filtration systems, online education learning and luxury products like watches and jewellery.

Entrepreneurship support

Sharma assured potential entrepreneurs in Tanzania of the company's continued support through training and education of IRs with a view to developing their professional skills with special focus on personal growth and development. “We believe that financial success alone is not enough. In order for us to make an impact, we need to develop people to be better human beings so that they can use their success to contribute to their local communities”, he said.

Globally, the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA), which QNet is affiliated through the Direct Selling Associations of Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, reported unprecedented sales and engagement with 6.4% growth generating close to $200 billion in 2015. WFDSA said that in the past three years, the industry has seen a compound annual growth rate of 6.5%. It also noted that behind direct selling’s positive growth trend are millions of entrepreneurs marketing an array of products and services.