Russian E-Commerce Giant Wildberries Launches Ethiopian Pilot, Aiming to Connect Local SMEs to Global Market

EBR_News Apr 15, 2026

By Betelhem Yetagesu

Russian e-commerce powerhouse Wildberries has officially launched its pilot operations in Ethiopia, marking the platform’s first major entry into the African market and positioning the country as a strategic digital trade hub for the continent. The move, which began with a soft launch in April, is part of a broader strategy to support Ethiopia’s “Digital Ethiopia 2030” agenda while creating new export channels for local producers of coffee, textiles, leather goods, and handicrafts.

The development follows a high-level partnership agreement signed in November 2025 between Wildberries and Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH), the country’s sovereign wealth fund managing over USD 150 billion in assets. The memorandum outlined joint efforts to adapt Wildberries’ platform to local conditions and to develop logistics and digital infrastructure. Speaking at a tech conference in Moscow, Wildberries founder Tatyana Kim confirmed that Ethiopian products are now available on the platform, with Ethiopian coffee already a well-known brand in Russia.

The platform’s entry is expected to directly benefit thousands of Ethiopian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), enabling them to list and sell products to Wildberries’ network of over 79 million customers across Eurasia. The marketplace, which operates in eight countries and partners with sellers in China and the UAE, has a logistics network of more than 90,000 pickup points. For Ethiopian producers, the platform could significantly reduce export barriers by providing access to a ready-made international sales and delivery channel.

Biruk Genene, the company’s country manager, noted that the pilot phase will focus on integrating payment systems and optimizing delivery routes. “While the opportunity is significant, the ecosystem still requires coordinated development in payments, logistics, and regulatory clarity,” he said. “Sustainable growth will depend on how quickly these foundational systems evolve alongside market demand.”

The launch coincides with broader efforts to strengthen economic cooperation between Russia and Ethiopia, which have maintained diplomatic ties since 1898. In recent weeks, high-level delegations have discussed joint manufacturing projects in agricultural machinery, pharmaceuticals, and drone technology, as well as the potential localization of Russian industrial facilities within Ethiopia’s first state-owned special economic zone.

In Ethiopia, the pilot phase will determine whether the marketplace will be fully rolled out as the company’s eleventh operating country. Wildberries aims to become a “key technology partner” for the continent’s rapidly growing e-commerce sector, which is projected to reach USD 1.02 trillion by 2033.