For thousands of African businesses, importing goods from China can be a profitable growth strategy—but it can also expose entrepreneurs to costly problems involving unreliable suppliers, poor-quality products, currency payments, shipping and customs. Proc360 is building an end-to-end platform designed to reduce those risks and make the China-Africa trade corridor easier to navigate.
Founded in 2024, Proc360 focuses primarily on businesses importing goods from China into African markets, particularly Nigeria and Ghana. The platform combines sourcing, supplier verification, payments, quality control, warehousing and logistics in one system. Since its launch, the company says more than 6,500 business owners have used its platform.
The problem Proc360 addresses is larger than simply finding cheap products. African importers often deal with multiple intermediaries for sourcing, payments, shipping and customs. Each additional step can introduce delays, hidden charges or opportunities for fraud. Proc360’s approach is to bring these processes together so that business owners can manage transactions from supplier selection to final delivery through one platform.
Its sourcing service allows customers to submit product links, pictures or descriptions. Proc360 then sources products from verified suppliers and provides quotations before the customer approves an order. The company also offers pre-shipment inspections, helping importers confirm that goods meet their specifications before they leave China.
Payments are another important part of the model. Proc360’s wallet allows African businesses to fund purchases in local currencies and convert funds into Chinese yuan for supplier payments. The platform says customers can pay suppliers directly while also protecting themselves from some of the currency and payment risks associated with international transactions.
Then comes logistics. Instead of shipping every order separately, businesses can consolidate products from multiple suppliers at Proc360’s Chinese warehouse. This can reduce shipping costs by lowering excess packaging and combining shipments. The company says its consolidation model can cut shipping costs by as much as 60% in some cases.
Proc360 also handles customs documentation, freight insurance and shipment tracking, giving smaller businesses access to services that might otherwise require several separate logistics providers.
The opportunity is significant because China remains one of Africa’s most important trading partners. Yet the benefits of that relationship are not always evenly distributed. Large companies can employ procurement teams, negotiate directly with manufacturers and manage complex logistics. Smaller retailers and informal businesses often lack those resources.
That is where Proc360 sees its advantage. Rather than building another marketplace, it is attempting to become the infrastructure connecting African entrepreneurs to global suppliers.
The company has already facilitated more than $300,000 in cross-border trade for over 1,500 solopreneurs, according to founder Fara Popoola, demonstrating early demand for simpler China-Africa procurement.
As the platform scales, its bigger opportunity may be helping African SMEs compete more effectively. Lower procurement costs, better product quality and more predictable logistics can translate directly into stronger margins.
Proc360’s story ultimately reflects a broader shift in African commerce: technology is increasingly being used not just to digitise payments, but to remove the friction surrounding physical trade. By simplifying the China-Africa corridor, Proc360 is betting that making international procurement safer and cheaper can unlock growth for thousands of businesses that have traditionally operated with limited access to global supply chains.
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