For importers and buyers
You stopped trusting African suppliers.Here is how you start again.
You went to Asian manufacturers because they felt safer. The certifications were clear. The payment terms were reasonable. The process was reliable. It worked — but it cost more, took longer, and sent your money out of Africa.
Merkato gives you what was missing: African manufacturers you can actually verify before you pay them a cent.
The pain
You know this feeling.
01
You found a supplier. Then something went wrong.
Advance payment sent. Goods late. Quality off. No recourse. You wrote it off and went back to your Asian contact. This has happened to enough people that buyers across Africa now default to overseas suppliers — not because they prefer it, but because local felt too risky.
02
There is no reliable way to verify an African manufacturer.
No directory you can trust. No certification database you can check. No way to know if the company behind the WhatsApp number is real, registered, and operational. So you rely on referrals, and referrals run out.
03
Every first order feels like a gamble.
You want to support local manufacturing. You want shorter supply chains, faster delivery, better prices. But placing a first order with a supplier you cannot verify is a risk most buyers are not willing to take twice.
The dream
What sourcing from Africa should look like.
01
A directory you can trust.
Browse African manufacturers the way you browse suppliers anywhere in the world — registrations verified, certifications confirmed, and at least one buyer reference you can call before you commit.
02
Post what you need. Get matched fast.
Describe what you are sourcing, your volumes, and your timeline. Within 48 hours, matched verified suppliers respond. No cold outreach. No guessing. No WhatsApp groups.
03
Your first order, protected.
Place your first order through escrow. Funds are released to the supplier only when you confirm delivery. If something goes wrong, a structured 5-step dispute process resolves it within 5 business days.
04
Supplier relationships that last.
Once trust is established, you source directly. Merkato is the infrastructure for that first step — the verified introduction and the protected first transaction. After that, the relationship is yours.
How Merkato solves it
This is what Merkato gives you.
01
Every supplier verified before you see them
Five checks: government registration confirmed, certifications reviewed, buyer reference contacted, and a video call completed with the Merkato team. The verified badge is not self-reported. We checked.
02
RFQ matching in 48 hours
Post a sourcing request — product category, quantity, delivery country — and receive matched quotes from verified suppliers within 48 hours. Free to post. No commitment until you decide to engage.
03
USD escrow on first orders
Merkato holds your payment in escrow. The supplier gets paid only when you confirm delivery. If goods arrive short, late, or incorrect, our dispute process steps in.
04
Structured dispute resolution
A 5-step process with binding escrow decisions. Not a suggestion. If something goes wrong, you have a clear route to resolution — not just a phone number to call and hope.
05
Pricing in USD
All transactions are quoted and settled in USD. No mid-transaction FX surprises. No converting local currencies back and forth.
Founding buyer programme
Register now. Get matched before we launch.
The founding buyer programme is not a waiting list. When you register, we personally match your sourcing needs against our verified supplier pipeline and send you introductions before the marketplace opens to the public.
Free
Personal supplier introductions before public launch
Priority
Your RFQs are matched and responded to first
Waived
Escrow fee waived on your first completed order
Direct
One-on-one support from the Merkato team during onboarding
How to register
Fill out the founding buyer registration — it takes about 4 minutes. We review every submission personally and respond within 24 hours.
Register as a founding buyerFounding buyer spots close once we reach our founding number.
What you can source
Six categories at launch.
Processed foods and beverages
NAFDAC and FDA Ghana certified suppliers
Agro commodities
Cashew, sesame, shea butter, grains
Textiles and garments
Wax print, ankara, ready-made
Building materials
Cement, tiles, rebar, construction supplies
Chemicals and industrials
Industrial chemicals, plastics, packaging
Cosmetics and personal care
Shea butter products, natural beauty, skincare