Shypmate, a peer-to-peer delivery service, is now servicing Ghana! Shypmate, allows consumers based in the US to purchase products online and links them with Africa-bound travelers for delivery.

The tech start-up launched in Nigeria early this year and has been increasingly successful, with over 400 in-bound shipments to Nigeria.

Now Ghanaians, expatriates and repatriates, can enjoy access to this service and e-commerce goods.

The founders, three Nigerians, and one Ghanaian, met in San Mateo, California, and shared the same frustrations with shipping items back home. Inspired by European shipping companies such as Plexus Freight, which provides shipping coverage for the European countries of Germany, Spain, and the UK as well as others, they creatively coupled technology with a peer-to-peer business model to streamline shipping to Nigeria and now Ghana.

How does it work?

• Copy the link to the product you plan to purchase. Visit the Shypmate website and paste the link to the product, including product information, appropriate airport location for pick up.
• Payment is secured via Paypal, Credit card or Express Pay, which is accessible to Ghanaians

• Meet the designated traveler at the airport or an agreed location.

To ensure safety and brand integrity, Shypmate vets all travelers. After the order is placed, Shypmate identifies a traveler, sends the item to the traveler and pays the traveler after the delivery has been completed. Effective, efficient and seamless. Customers should receive items 5-10 business days after initial arrival.

Individuals who sign up to carry items to Africa are compensated per delivery. Travelers have been known to earn enough to even purchase a return ticket.

“This totally changes the experience of the expatriate and repatriate. Now they can access their favorite ecommerce products hassle free,” affirmed Bridget Boakye, Managing Director of Operations in Ghana.

Travelers who fly to Ghana can sign up to carry items and earn money. The tech-start up’s operations only include America as a point of origin but will eventually roll out to include Europe and other countries. For more information visit shypmate.com.

Shypmate is part of the main Y Combinator (YC) programs for 2016. Y Combinator is a major startup accelerator in Silicon Valley, that produced popular sites like Airbnb, and Dropbox. The company received an initial investment and will compete next month to raise more funds to expand the business.

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