After raising $38M, African e-commerce startup Sabi lays off 20%, pivots to traceable exports

African B2B e-commerce startup Sabi has laid off around 20% of its workforce (~50 employees) as it pivots from its original retail-focused platform to double down on a growing business in commodity exports.

The layoffs, confirmed by the company on Thursday, are part of a broader restructuring aimed at aligning resources with what it describes as rising demand for traceable, ethically sourced commodities, an area it began building out last year under a new vertical called TRACE (Technology Rails for African Commodity Exchange).

Launched in Lagos in 2020, Sabi began as a software platform helping informal retailers digitize inventory and sales amid COVID-19 disruptions. It later expanded into a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) marketplace with embedded finance, scaling across Nigeria and Kenya. By mid-2023, Sabi claimed over 300,000 merchants and $1 billion in annualized GMV. 

That momentum helped it secure a $38 million Series B round at a $300 million valuation.

But like many startups in the B2B e-commerce space in Africa, Sabi faced structural headwinds: thin margins, capital intensity, and tough unit economics. Unlike competitors that burned through capital, Sabi maintained an asset-light model and stayed profitable. Still, the market shift has been clear.

In March, the company launched TRACE as a new business line, alongside FMCG. The new vertical targets mineral and agricultural exports such as lithium, cobalt, tin, and cash crops, where global buyers increasingly demand transparency, ESG compliance, and traceability.

Sabi says it now exports over 20,000 tons of such commodities monthly to buyers across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. It has also launched operations in the U.S. and made senior hires to support that expansion.

“Sabi is entering its next chapter, with a focused commitment to commodity trade and traceability for global customers,” it said in a statement.

“We’re doubling down on the part of our business seeing the most demand, built on the strong foundation we’ve laid since 2021 by supporting African merchants and their growth. To align with this momentum, we’ve made the difficult decision to restructure parts of our team.”

The transition underscores a broader theme: as informal commerce platforms in Africa search for sustainability, Sabi is showing that evolving into infrastructure plays for global trade is possible. While this strategy offers higher margins and clearer paths to profitability, it can also lead to internal shakeups as Sabi’s restructuring shows.