How Jumia uses CodeWords to run its field sales operation on WhatsApp

Jumia, the largest e-commerce marketplace in Africa, faced significant challenges in managing its network of independent sales agents, known as JForce, who operate primarily through WhatsApp rather than dashboards or email. Faiz Jafar, who manages sales in Kenya's coastal and eastern regions, struggled with tools like n8n, Make, and Google Apps Script, which required extensive technical input and failed to provide necessary scalability and visibility. The introduction of CodeWords transformed operations by automating daily deal blasts and creating multilingual support agents in English and Swahili, all without requiring complex engineering. This shift allowed Jumia to streamline its JForce operations, expand market growth efficiently, and transition from manual processes to a more automated and scalable system, thereby enhancing recruitment, training, and support across multiple regions.