West Africa road transport market = $18 billion/year but 80% disorganized: a shipper calls 5-10 carriers before finding. A B2B marketplace matching supply (carriers) with demand (cargo) automates everything.

TL;DR

- Bidirectional marketplace: shippers post cargo + carriers propose prices.

- Stack: Next.js + Postgres + Mapbox + Wave Business + ePOD.

- West Africa market: $18B/year. Players: Lori (KE-NG), Kobo (NG), Sendy (KE).

Marketplace architecture

`

[Shipper posts mission]

• Origin, destination
• Cargo type, weight, volume
• Pickup date, deadline
• Max budget or auction

↓

[Algorithm matches available carriers]

↓

[Carriers see + propose prices]

↓

[Shipper selects → digital contract signed]

↓

[Cargo delivered → ePOD]

↓

[Wave/bank payment → released post-delivery]

↓

[Mutual reviews]

`

Data model

`prisma

model Shipper {

id String @id @default(cuid())

companyName String

contactPerson String

email String

phone String

ninea String?

monthlyVolume Int?

walletProvider String

walletNumber String

rating Float?

isVerified Boolean

}

model Carrier {

id String @id @default(cuid())

companyName String

contactPerson String

email String

phone String

fleetSize Int

vehicles Vehicle[]

certifications String[]

walletProvider String

walletNumber String

rating Float?

totalShipments Int

isVerified Boolean

}

model FreightRequest {

id String @id @default(cuid())

shipperId String

shipper Shipper @relation(fields: [shipperId], references: [id])

cargoDescription String

cargoCategory String

weightKg Int

volumeM3 Float?

vehicleTypeNeeded String

pickupAddress String

pickupGps Json

pickupBefore DateTime

deliveryAddress String

deliveryGps Json

deliveryBefore DateTime

budgetMaxXof Int?

status String

bids FreightBid[]

awardedBidId String?

}

model FreightBid {

id String @id @default(cuid())

requestId String

request FreightRequest @relation(fields: [requestId], references: [id])

carrierId String

carrier Carrier @relation(fields: [carrierId], references: [id])

priceXof Int

estimatedDuration Int

notes String?

submittedAt DateTime @default(now())

status String

}

`

Dynamic pricing + bidding

Two modes:

Mode A — Fixed price (shipper sets budget, carriers accept or not)

Mode B — Auction (carriers propose prices, shipper picks)

`tsx

export default async function FreightRequestPage({ params }) {

const request = await getFreightRequest(params.id);

const bids = await getBids(request.id);

return (

);

}

`

AI price recommendation

`ts

async function recommendPriceForRequest(request: FreightRequest) {

const similarMissions = await prisma.shipment.findMany({

where: {

cargoCategory: request.cargoCategory,

vehicleTypeNeeded: request.vehicleTypeNeeded,

status: 'DELIVERED',

},

take: 50,

orderBy: { createdAt: 'desc' },

});

const avgPrice = average(similarMissions.map(m => m.totalPrice));

const minPrice = avgPrice * 0.85;

const maxPrice = avgPrice * 1.15;

return {

suggested: Math.round(avgPrice),

range: [Math.round(minPrice), Math.round(maxPrice)],

};

}

`

Real case — SN-CI marketplace

Common pitfalls

• Carrier verification — fraud possible (fake trucks). KYC + physical visit.
• No bidding bot — auction manipulation. Caps + anomaly detection.
• Perishable cargo — critical cold chain. Special category + premium price.
• Cargo theft — partner insurance (NSIA, Allianz Africa) integrated.
• Late carrier payment — escrow + T+3 release post-delivery.

FAQ

Q: Competition?

A: Lori (KE-NG-CIV), Kobo (NG), Sendy (KE), TruckIt (NG). Francophone Africa less saturated.

Q: Commission?

A: 4-7% standard. Freemium model: free posting, 2-3% payment processing + 3-4% comm.

Q: Initial investment?

A: $1.5-4M seed for MVP + 18 ops months. Investors: Partech, 4DX, IFC.

Conclusion

Africa B2B carrier marketplace 2026 = massive opportunity ($18B West Africa TAM). Tractable tech stack. Real challenge = network effects + ground onboarding. 30-48 month ROI on clean execution.