• Anka founders exit; platform retains brand and operations

• Deal aims to expand African creators’ global market access

Ivorian e-commerce startup Anka, a platform dedicated to African creators, has been acquired by the U.S. company Global Shop Group, the startup's co-founder Moulaye Tabouré announced on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Global Shop Group is led by Matilda Ceesay, a fashion, apparel, and strategy expert who previously consulted for major brands including Nike, Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The acquisition marks Global Shop's entry into the African fashion e-commerce market.

Founded in 2016 by Tabouré, Abdoul Kadry Diallo, and Luc Perussault-Diallo, Anka was initially positioned as a marketplace for African-inspired fashion products under the name Afrikrea. It later expanded its services to include a broader marketplace, payment solutions via Anka Pay, and logistics through Anka Shipping, facilitating global deliveries between creators and customers.

Over its nine years of operation, Anka has raised approximately $13.5 million from institutional investors, including Proparco, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and BPI France. The platform has generated more than $60 million in cumulative transactions and served merchants in 47 African countries, reaching customers in over 170 countries worldwide.

The acquisition follows the March 2024 rebranding of Afrikrea to Anka Marketplace. The identity change was aimed at expanding service offerings and positioning the startup as a comprehensive commerce infrastructure, moving beyond just fashion products to include digital content, logistics, payment services, and professional online training.

Under the agreement, Anka will maintain its operational autonomy, brand, team, and existing partners. However, the co-founders will exit the company. Ceesay, who now heads Anka, plans to strengthen the platform by leveraging her global network and experience in managing international brands.

Tabouré stated that Anka's future growth required a partner with deep sector expertise and access to new markets. "We built the infrastructure for global African commerce. To accelerate, we needed to move beyond technology," he said.

Ceesay, for her part, indicated her goal is to transform Anka into a sustainable support tool for African creators. She added that the acquisition aligns with a project to increase the international visibility of African products and simplify commercial operations management for the platform's sellers.

Chamberline Moko