African eCommerce giant Jumia has reduced its workforce by 7% between December 31, 2024, and September 30, 2025, even as its financial performance shows steady improvement.
In its Q3 2025 financial report, the company posted $45.6 million in revenue, a 25% year-over-year jump from $36.4 million in Q3 2024. Although Jumia still recorded an operating loss of $17.4 million, this is an improvement from the $20.1 million loss recorded in 2024, signaling progress toward its goal of achieving full profitability by 2027.
Customer demand played a major role in this growth. Orders increased by 34%, driven largely by the Nigerian market, which saw a 30% rise in orders and 43% growth in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV).
Jumia CEO Francis Dufay described the period as a “turning point” for the company’s profitability efforts, highlighting stricter cost management and deeper customer engagement.
Advertising spending rose by 18% to $5.2 million, reflecting increased investment in customer acquisition and retention. However, the company balanced this with improved cost discipline, general and administrative expenses dropped 7% to $17.6 million, owing partly to reduced taxes.
Despite higher staff-related expenses and professional fees, influenced by currency fluctuations, the company’s headcount fell to 2,010, marking a 7% reduction. Jumia attributed this to growing reliance on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to streamline operations.
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According to the company, AI-enabled workflows across customer service, marketing, and tech operations are improving efficiency, lowering operational costs, and enabling a leaner organizational structure.
With continued focus on operational discipline and automation, Jumia expects its administrative costs to keep declining, positioning the company firmly on its path toward breakeven by Q4 2026 and full-year profitability by 2027.
