Kenya-based Badili: Africa’s first ‘ReCommerce startup’ is set to launch its first physical store in Ambience Mall, Westlands, Nairobi, on 22nd July 2022. The company was launched in early 2022 to upgrade the pre-owned smartphones & electronics market experience in Kenya and Africa while perfecting recycling in the space.
Badili seeks to create a circular economy powered by ReCommerce. 35% of consumers in Kenya prefer to buy a used phone over a new one, yet there are no safe and legit options available for them. The inadequacies and inefficiencies of the second-hand devices market, along with the scare of stolen, counterfeit and fake phones, have created a vast trust problem for the consumers. Badili has formulated and perfected its craft in pre-owned phones by sourcing, repairing and refurbishing the phones locally and giving a 12-months warranty on all Badili phones.
Data from the Communications Authority shows that in 2021, 26 million Kenyans owned smartphones, putting the penetration levels at more than half of the population. Additionally, Kenya has accumulated a considerable amount of e-waste over the last few years. According to reports, Kenya generates about 3,000 tonnes of e-waste each year from various appliances and gadgets, including mobile phones.
Badili’s mission is to not only help consumers afford smartphones at half the price but also to enable consumers to resell their devices and reduce the burden of the e-waste situation in Kenya.
At Badili, customers can buy a refurbished phone for half the price of a new one, sell their old one instantly at unbeatable prices, and even trade in their existing one for a better one.
For example, Samsung users can get a trade-in credit on their old phones with the Badili Samsung partnership across 30+ stores in Kenya. Badili customers can sell their old Samsung devices and use that credit towards shopping for a new Samsung device.
The Badili buyback program is a simple process of evaluating old phones and letting users sell them for instant cash. The program allows users to get their hands on various phone models that Badili has refurbished. Badili offers most of these devices at half the market price, in a ‘Good as New’ condition.
After receiving an immensely positive response from the Kenyan market over the past few months, Badili phones are now available in 27 retail stores across 6 cities in Kenya, including Nairobi, Eldoret, Naivasha, and Nakuru, amongst others. Badili’s trade-in service is today accepted by Samsung and other brands in the Kenyan market.
“As Badili becomes a household brand and more and more consumers trust Badili, it’s important for us to create more avenues for our consumers to connect with us. Our first store in Nairobi marks the beginning of a new journey for a Re-commerce company which will carry on in other cities across Kenya.” Rishabh Lawania, Founder and CEO Badili says.
The much-anticipated launch of Badili’s first physical store will set the pace for expansion throughout Kenya and Africa. During this launch, Badili will also debut its new phone repair service, Badili Repair Pro. The company will offer mobile repair services for Samsung, iPhone, Oppo, and other brand users.
The store will serve as a one-stop shop for all Badili services and, more importantly, as a service centre for existing and new Badili phone buyers.. During the launch, customers can also save big on all Smartphone brands. High-end brands like iPhone are available from as low as Ksh 13,999, Oppo at Ksh 11,999 and a Samsung Galaxy A71 for as low as Ksh 31,999. At the launch event, the first 50 walk-ins can win free goodies and discount deals on devices. One lucky customer gets to win an iPhone from Badili.
