Russia-based e-commerce giant Wildberries has appointed Biruk Genene as its country manager for Ethiopia, marking a key step in the company’s first expansion into Africa.
The move signals Wildberries’ intent to use Ethiopia as a strategic entry point beyond its traditional Eurasian markets, testing how its large-scale digital commerce model performs in a frontier economy.
Related articles
Biruk transitions into the role after more than four years at beU Delivery, where he most recently served as Head of Business Development and Marketing. During his tenure, he led revenue growth, partnerships, and go-to-market execution, while also overseeing teams across sales, marketing, logistics, and customer operations.
His career progression at beU, from frontline operations and call center management to commercial leadership, has given him hands-on experience across the full e-commerce value chain. This includes last-mile delivery coordination, partner acquisition, and customer engagement systems, all critical in Ethiopia’s still-developing digital retail ecosystem.
Wildberries enters a market characterized by fragmented online commerce, heavy reliance on cash transactions, and logistical constraints. Industry observers note that success will depend less on replicating its global model and more on adapting to local realities, particularly around payments, infrastructure, and trust between buyers and sellers.
The company has already begun onboarding Ethiopian merchants, hosting sessions with sellers across sectors to introduce its platform and cross-border capabilities. It says local businesses will be able to access its global marketplace without needing to build independent logistics, payment, or marketing systems.
Globally, Wildberries operates at significant scale, processing tens of millions of orders daily and working with over one million sellers, most of them small and medium-sized enterprises. The company reported gross merchandise value of $73.3 billion in 2025.
Executives involved in the rollout say Ethiopia’s e-commerce sector remains early-stage, with much of the activity occurring informally through social media channels. However, they express confidence that a structured platform, combined with ongoing national digitalization efforts, could gradually improve market efficiency and consumer trust.
As country manager, Biruk will be responsible for local execution, balancing rapid expansion with operational discipline in a market where foundational systems are still evolving.
Source: Birrmetrics
