I had heard about Mall for Africa (MFA) from various people and seen their adverts online so I decided to give them a try.
Mall for Africa is an e-commerce company that allows Africans to purchase items directly from international online retailers (typically retailers in the US, and around Europe and Africa). Items are then shipped directly to the buyer’s location (can be delivered to a specific address or picked up from various pick up locations).
To buy items from Mall for Africa is pretty simple. First download the MFA app on your device (desktop, laptop, tablet, or mobile), then shop from any of the MFA partner stores! Payment is made online (no payment on delivery option to my knowledge) and then your order will be processed and delivered accordingly.
I downloaded the MFA app on my android phone and checked out the stores I could buy stuff from. I was specifically looking for makeup brushes at affordable prices because they were ridiculously expensive here in Naija! I was excited to see Amazon listed as their prices are usually very affordable!
I clicked on the Amazon site via the MFA app and searched for makeup brushes. After selecting my items, I simply clicked on the “Pay Now” button.
I was then redirected to a purchase summary page:
I clicked the “Make Payment” button and was redirected to another page to select my shipping option. I opted to pick up my package as opposed to having it delivered because there’s a pick up center in my area and there’s no additional cost for this option.
After selecting my shipping method, I was taken to a checkout page to review my purchase:
Upon placing my order, I got a warning which said my item would take more than the normal amount of time to get to Nigeria because my order was being fulfilled by a third party seller.
6 days after placing my order I hadn’t received any updates from MFA. I was quite scared o! I’d already paid and MFA’s main office is in Kano! I sharply called customer care and a very polite attendant named Ada explained that the seller hadn’t dropped off my item at their warehouse. Apparently, they’d already reached out to the seller to follow-up.
Ada was really helpful and also noted that if I didn’t get my item within a stipulated time frame, I’d get a refund. I was secretly praying I didn’t get a refund because dollar had increased from 197 to 207 naira at that time and I didn’t want to hear any stories.
16 days later, I got an update e-mail stating that my item had been shipped from their warehouse. My item was ready for pick up 4 days later and I headed over to the surulere pick up center at Adeniran Ogunsanya Mall.
It was difficult locating the MFA pick up center, but I’d met a very nice security guard who helped me find the space.
I was asked by the MFA attendant to show my government issued ID Card, but I only had my school ID and this was a bit of a problem. After some time, the attendant finally accepted my school ID and handed over my package. Quick tip: Go and get your PVC oh! They are using style style to ask for it!
Mall for Africa is an amazing company and I intend to keep using them. I will rate their services an 8 over 10.
They have got a friendly staff and are placed in a nice environment.
In my opinion its a really good company with great prospects. Their logo, interior design, color and overall vibe is very welcoming, they really got it in that area.
However MFA can be better, I feel their vision is to make shopping for Nigerians easier, make getting vital things easy. They’ve found a great Market Gap, a real Solid one, and they penetrated the Market quite well, however there are some loopholes that are yet to be closed and this must be taken with high priority if the firm values their future.
I noticed two loopholes: Handling the Customer Service process (HCSP) and Logistics. Everything else that they do is precise, steller and is done with excellence.
HCSP: There are certain issues the company can sort out themselves, no need to start telling clients the issues and problems present, at the end of the day the customer is now more anxious and nothing productive has been achieved. I experienced this.
Logistics: Mastering and taking control of the Step by Step process is crucial since Service delivery is key. A key element to Service Delivery is Speed. I also suggest MFA have tracking numbers, this way customers can see the progress of their orders and the entire service process.
I am giving MFA a 3 Star, mainly because of the resilience, follow-up and assurance I got from their fellow staff member Uchechi, her presence balances things.
I used this service to buy a long searched for blue suit that I needed for my brother’s wedding, it was like a life saver because everything I saw in Abuja stores either looked too flamboyant / funny like a clown suit or was expensive and in the wrong size. But with their App I found the perfect item both in price and style on Marks and Spencer. While they don’t normally have express delivery, I was able to expedite my order by paying extra in something called their custom order service. Given the frustration and fruitless search I went through in local boutiques, I have come to the conclusion that if you can’t find it anywhere, you’ll find it on Mallforafrica!
wow, my first order from mallforafrica.com was really good, i got instant back to back updates on my email about the goods i ordered untill it reached nigeria, it was delivered to me in my apartment in enugu, i will give there services a 9/10 rating
I have bought a blackberry phone and carphone holder from them, since March 2, it shipped March 8, they sent me a text to pick up my item March 21. I arrived in their Abuja office to find only the car phone holder. Nobody from their team is giving me a valuable reply, Customer care has stopped replying my emails. I will take legal actions against mallofafrica.
I have been using mallforafrica since 2011, and I have to commend their customer service. they are helpful and very informative. Yes there are delays however only when you order non prime from Amzon. But have you tried shopping on Ebay. No bad experience for me so far. Thumbs up @mallforafrica
TERRIBLE SERVICE!!!
I have used MFA several times now and my items have NEVER been delivered within 15 working days despite the fact that I always tick the column that says orders that will take more than 15 working days should be cancelled (I guess no one has taken them up on the Breach of Contract). My first order took over two months and subsequent ones were just as bad. Worse still, they never sent an update on arrival of goods. One has to keep calling them, begging for an update. A competing Company will make a world of difference!
Smooth sailing so far with MFA save for that one time it took like 3 months for a handbag to arrive Lagos from the US. They belatedly explained the reason for the delay and it was tangible. However there’s room for improvement:
1. Be proactive. Inform the customer of any delays before they have to ask. I am sure there’s some sort of periodic log that can be created for this to send out automated emails.
2. Fix that buggy iphone app. Its so slow it gives me a headache.
I like the fact that they call back when you miss calls though. Its happened for me on 2 or 3 occasions, that’s a nice touch.
Update. A year later and I have to say the response time to complaints/queries has definitely gotten much worse. I understand that the customer base must have grown over time however they should be better prepared. Fix up.
P.S: No longer a 4 start rating, more of a 3.
If you have a good story to tell about MFA now, trust me you’re soon going to sing a different song. My first order was so fast that I asked them of Facebook if I got such service because it was the first time. I have read a lot of review, and I can tell you there are more negative ones. As I right this, I’m still waiting for a package the told me left the USA since 3rd of march, today is the 18th. How many days will it take a plane from US to Nigeria?. The worst part is that they don’t respond to emails. THEY SIMPLY DONT LIKE COMPLAINTS.
I agree with you. I’ve had some good experiences with them and also some bad ones. They truly don’t like complaints and they will refuse to reply emails.
I was supposed to get refund on an item but I kept getting posted even after filling their refund forms until I eventually caved in and accepted to use the money to buy and fund an MFA webcard. As long as they have no issues with you, they are professional. Once you have a complaint or delay in order, they become less than professional – same with many other Nigerian businesses. Nigerian syndrome.
Will I use them again? Yes I will because they seem to be transparent but they need to understand that there are always issues in business and they should learn to be professional enough to deal with .
I have used MFA and got my item really fast. I ordered from Amazon USA and got it sooner than expected. Services work exactly as described. The only issue I will raise (although not necessary) is the charges when you chose doorstep delivery. However, considering the fact that they delivered to my door via DHL, its a fair deal.
I also appreciate the fact that the charges are displayed before you confirm payment, so no hidden charges.
I will rate them 9.5 out of 10.
Good service, good people.
Verified Purchase
Order Number: M-140317
Order Date: Feb 13, 2016
I love your reviews! So detailed and helpful…thank you!!
Thanks Kome, it is my pleasure to contribute my part to a better Nigeria. Most importantly, you guys deserve great respect for providing and maintaining this platform. May God continue to empower you all to keep up the good work.
Amen! Thank you so much!! 🙂
MALL FOR AFRICA is full of very unprofessional and annoying people.It took them a month plus to get my order to me and i had to keep calling every time.They did not send a mail that my order was delayed untill i called their attention to it.They then sent a mail to say i would get a refund because they could not ship out all my items, but untill i called them to ask for the refund , then did not send a mail or any form of communication.I called them and was now asked to send a mail to fill a form for the refund which would now take another 10 working days!
This is so frustrating and very unprofessional.They started right but clearly have missed their way!
Totally and absolutely agree! An absolute nightmare. I was super impressed the first 2 days. I got an update saying the warehouse was awaiting delivery from the merchant! Everything went downhill from that point. The status has been stuck from 2nd of Dec. And each customer service officer seems to have a different delivery date…. that is…the ones that don’t hang up on you halfway through the conversation! Horrid!Horrid!!Horrid!!!
I am currently having a similar experience with ‘K’. I have not received my order of about a month ago. I have been calling every other day since last week and I keep getting the same ‘I will check with logistics and get back to you’. The last customer care agent I spoke with came across as unprofessional, she did not assure me in anyway that it would be resolved and almost made me feel like I was complaining too much.
I am so surprised. After my first encounter with them, I’ve been using them regularly and all has been fine.
I have been trying to register on mall for Africa, but the secret word is a problem as they seem to reject every word I chose. did you encounter the same problem? if yes, how did you resolve it? thanks for ur anticipated reply.
Pls which one is better and cheaper mallforafrica or Shoptomydoor
I haven’t utilized either of them….@jeezay said he prefers mall for africa (see his comment under the shoptomydoor review here: https://www.reviewnaija.com/shoptomydoor-com/)
Hey sandragee, when did you start writing serious reviews. I didn’t feel u conversing with us ur readers, good review, but too straight to the point. Also, I’ve used them before and I enjoyed their services. Please make your reviews fun
Thanks for the feedback @jeezay
Hmm Jeezay, I apologize if you didn’t enjoy the review, the next reviews will be better.
An 8 over ten because of the delay I encountered the day I was expected to pick up. To my knowledge, my school iD card is as valid as any government issued ID card.
I’d never heard of MFA but will definitely try out their service when next I wanna ship stuff to Naij. Only drawback I can see with using their service is that there isn’t much of an option to return items except said items are either damaged or incorrect.
Why would you rate them an 8 vs. a 9 or 10? What could they have done better?