Answers To Seller Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the comprehensive FAQ section for sellers on zonline.africa. Whether you're a new seller or an experienced entrepreneur, we aim to provide clarity and guidance. Explore the sections below to find answers to your questions. Remember our support team is available to assist you should these not answer your question.
Getting Started FAQs
zonline is an online platform empowering African businesses to create their own e-commerce stores and connect with local and international customers. Every business needs an online presence because everyone’zonline.
Any individual or business based in Africa offering goods or services can become a seller, provided they meet the marketplace policies and standards.
Simply sign up for an account, select a subscription package, and set up your store using the provided tools and resources.
Access to a growing online customer base.
Comprehensive tools for store management.
Continuous technical support and training resources.
Marketing opportunities tailored to your audience.
Absolutely! You just need to have an approved seller’s account and you can sell on zonline.africa. If you have your own domain you can also point it to your online store on zonline to direct your clients to your powerful zonline store.
Your online store can work as your primary website or a secondary website.
Once your seller account is approved, you simply add your products and services in your zonline store via the vendor dashboard and they are automatically added to the zonline marketplace.
Customers find your products by searching on the zonline.africa marketplace or searching on Google and they order the product through zonline and you deliver the product to the client and confirm delivery or let zonline deliver the product on your behalf and then deposit your funds into your bank account less our service fees.
You can sell almost any legal products and/or services in the following categories:
African Art, Baby, Books, Business Operations (including specialty services, office equipment & supplies), Clothing/Shoes & Accessories (including jewellery & watches), Consumer Electronics (including mobile phones & accessories), Computer/Tablets & Networking (including software), Health & Beauty, Home & Garden, Motors (including car parts & accessories), Musical Instruments & Gear, Toys & Hobbies (including educational toys & games) plus Gift Vouchers.
Stolen property and illegal products/services are prohibited on zonline. Please note that some categories may require special permission before you can start selling.
Managing Your Account
You are responsible for keeping your password safe and away from prying eyes. Make sure that you use a secure and not so easy to guess password. At zonline we have done and continue to safeguard your personal details as much as we can reasonably do on our infrastructure and resources.
Absolutely! You can edit your listed products and/or services via the Seller Dashboard.
You manage your orders via your Seller Dashboard. Note that if you are shipping the products yourself you need to update the order indicating that shipment has been completed. If using Easy Shipping then you must pack your orders and carefully label them then schedule pick-up by our team from your premisses. If using the convenient Fulfillment by zonline (FBZ) then zonline will fulfil and ship your order.
You can cancel your account at any point but are liable for any transactions not yet processed or still covered by your warranty and/or terms of the agreement.
zonline will disburse payments every Friday. Payments are eligible for disbursement 7 days after confirmation that the order has been shipped.
Please note that zonline uses electronic transfers to pay you for your completed sales. Before you can receive your payment, you must ensure that your seller account has specified a bank account for us to deposit money into. Disbursements will only be made in the local currency of the African country where the bank account is located. For example, if your bank account is located in Tanzania, then your disbursements will be made in Tanzanian Shillings only.
We cannot transfer payments to credit cards and some online payments.
To avoid delays you must ensure that:
– your seller account has specified a complete business address
– your bank account must be located in an African country that is supported by zonline.africa
– your bank account information must be complete and up-to-date
Services and Support
zonline offers 3 packages with different services/benefits:
- Starter Package: The Starter package is designed for businesses looking to dip their toes into the zonline.africa marketplace. It provides essential ecommerce features and basic support to get you started.
- Growth Package: The Growth package is ideal for businesses that want to expand their reach. It includes additional features, better visibility, and personalized support, to grow your online business effectively.
- Enterprise Package: The Enterprise package is for ambitious businesses aiming to scale and dominate their market segment. It offers advanced features, priority support, and customized eCommerce solutions.
Visit each package to compare the services offered in that package.
We provide a hands-on approach, guiding you through e-commerce basics, optimizing sales, and offering training materials and personalized support to help you succeed.
Our support team is available 24/7 to address zonline technical issues, website performance concerns.
For dedicated assistance with store setup and store management, zonline experts are available to assist you to setup and run a successful store.
zonline offers mediation tools to help resolve disputes amicably and ensure seller and customer satisfaction.
Yes. Customer feedback is a critical metric for your business on zonline because it’s used by customers to gauge your trustworthiness while zonline analyzes your reviews to measure your performance. As you will agree, customers generally tend to purchase from businesses that have good reviews from their clients.
Absolutely! We require professional images for products and services listed on zonline therefore if you do not have an inhouse graphic designer and/or content creator, then you can use one of our recommended partner experts that specialize in assisting businesses to create product and service catalogs for the internet.
Yes. You can get a sub-domain to reflect your business name/brand such as www.yourbrand.zonline.africa. Replace ‘yourbrand’ with your actual brand. To apply for this please send us a note via your seller dashboard messaging section.
No. You can however purchase a domain from one of our partners that you can then use for your emails plus that domain can be pointed to your store profile on zonline. NOTE: Some zonline packages come with FREE basic email hosting.
Marketing and Growth
Use zonline.africa’s inbuilt marketing tools, such as social media integrations and promotional banners, to attract customers.
You can share your products to social media including the popular WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and more…
Yes, we offer tailored advertising solutions and guidance on creating effective marketing campaigns to grow your business.
zonline Experts are available to help you reach your specific goals.
Absolutely! Analytics tools are available via your seller dashboard to monitor sales, customer behavior, and overall performance, helping you make data-driven decisions.
Inventory Management and Logistics
Integrated inventory systems track stock levels in real-time, while shipping tools streamline order fulfillment.
We integrate with reliable couriers to ensure smooth, trackable deliveries from your store to customers.
Additional shipping charges may apply based on package weight, destination, and selected courier.
Not yet, but we will soon collaborate with trusted suppliers and logistics companies to simplify sourcing and delivery operations.
Please note that FBz (Fullfilment By zonline is not yet available therefore sellers are responsible for shipping their products to the buyer.
Payment and Costs
Registering an online store is currently FREE but to begin adding products and/or services you will need to select a Starter Package, Growth Package, Enterprise Package that addresses your needs.
Flexible payment options are available, including upfront term payments or monthly installment plans.
Secure payment gateways are integrated into your store to ensure smooth transactions. These support credit cards, mobile money, and PayPal.
Extra costs may include premium features, paid marketing campaigns, or advanced customizations.
Policies and Guidelines
To become a verified seller, ensure compliance with zonline.africa’s policies, provide accurate business information, and maintain good customer reviews.
zonline has a standard policy for returns and refunds, but sellers can define specific terms for their store. These must align with platform regulations.
Items that violate local or international laws, as well as counterfeit or hazardous products, are prohibited. For a detailed list, review the platform’s policies.
Address complaints professionally through the seller dashboard. zonline.africa provides tools to help mediate disputes and build trust with your customers.
Seller Rewards Program
This is a Seller Rewards Program where registered sellers can earn rewards by participating in contests/tasks or meeting and exceeding certain expectations set by zonline.
The zonline Seller Rewards Program benefits sellers by offering them free opportunities to grow on zonline.africa including but not limited to Free Account Boost, Free Featured Product Listing, Free Transportation, Free Advertising Flyer Designs, Free Product Images.
Subject to standard terms and conditions and those of each task and program, when you complete each task or meet and exceed a standard you will become eligible to potentially win rewards that will be credited to your seller rewards account. The rewards can be redeemed in full or in part by the seller and are not transferable.
The standard rewards do not expire. There are instances we have special rewards that must be used within a specified time period.
There are no charges to join the rewards program. Just your desire to build an exceptional digital footprint and to grow your business online through zonline.africa
Troubleshooting and Resources
Use the “Forgot Password” option to reset your credentials or contact our support team for assistance.
Ensure that all products are approved, properly categorized, and meet zonline.africa’s listing requirements.
Yes, we provide free tutorials, webinars, and for some packages or paid addons: one-on-one coaching to help sellers optimize their stores and increase sales.