Online Business: Live Sessions Boost Sales

T raditional auction sales in local mar­ kets in Yaounde and around Came­ roon were often reserved for week­ ends when working class people would be free to shop for their households and professional spheres in traditional markets. Recent technological developments on social media outlets that enable account holders to host live sessions on platforms like TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter), have birthed a new genre of sale pattern dubbed the “live sessions”. This feature permits vendors to sell an array of items including clothes, shoes, hair, house utensils, bags, baking items, food stuff, and many more. According to Teghen Adria, a clothes who­ lesale vendor on TikTok, going live enables vendors to reach a wider audience and make greater sales void of taxes and rents. She explained that during the TikTok live session, “I display the available stock at price range of FCFA 4,500 to FCFA 15,000 on Clothing Dummies to showcase their original look. With this, I am confident to reach out to over 59.3 thousand follo­ wers in and out of Cameroon, earning over FCFA 200,000 in sales from the confines of my room." The four to five hours’ exhibition on TikTok live sessions is often done on weekends; and during ghost towns within the restive North West and South West Regions when people are believed to be home and active on social media. Vendors like Eni Thelma cease the opportunity to interact with their clientele and further drive traffic on her over ten thousand followers’ account. “We advertise hair ac­ cessories ranging from FCFA 300 to FCFA 30,000; and FCFA 3,500 to F...