EXECUTIVE INTERVIEWS > PUBLIC SECTOR
OREEED
Mohamed Badreldin Mahgoub is the general manager at Oreeed, the hottest upcoming online retailer in Sudan, striving to provide the highest quality shopping experience and maintaining values of transparency in this sector. Mohamed has a batchelors in accounting administration as well as a masters in financial management, with over six years of experience in financial and accounting services within multiple businesses across different platforms within technology, transportation, cleaning and catering. Mohamed is passionate about providing services in innovative and accessible ways to meet the needs of both end users and suppliers.
It started off as a simple idea being discussed amongst friends, “why is it difficult to find reasonable prices for reliable, high quality, genuine goods in Sudan?” This got us thinking further into the detail, “why should people have to deal with not finding their desired piece of clothing, how many stores do they have to visit hunting for the matching piece of accessory, and at what price?” After many brainstorming sessions, we decided to start a company that would solve this problem of sourcing, and moreover provide sellers a reliable platform to sell their products.
That is how we decided to bring the idea to life – to flesh it out; the sector is really interesting and aligned with what I knew I could see myself doing for some time. We took months to research, learn, plan and revisit all assumptions before going ahead and executing something concrete.
I am Sudanese, I genuinely believe in the potential Sudan has to offer. Its not often you see a country going through such a fast past change and with a market still in its infancy, there is ample opportunity to build a bright future right here at home.
The concept of launching a new business in Sudan can seem daunting. Yet, with the right ingredients it can not only be done, it can be a success.
Money is not everything, the real challenge lies in finding the right team and at oreeed we are proud to say that we are working on breaking down the barriers by encouraging a high ratio of women in our workplace; aiming to empower women. We have a well diverse, youthful, intelligent group of people who are very passionate and committed to taking oreeed to the next level and reaching its full potential. I believe in giving back to my country and the real question is why not to start in the place I call my home.
It is actually very simple. High quality products delivered with great customer service. We believe our customer experience is key to repeat customers. This makes the customer experience a core part of our company and what will ultimately set us apart in the industry. We also recognise we are going to be pioneers in this field so we aim to set the bar high. In a world where authenticity is the most important branding tool, with people craving for raw truth rather than filtered and misleading words. We as a start up company want to make who we are known for the go get. We give you the truth and nothing else.
We started off small and plan to grow quickly. Currently we offer a wide range of products for women and children with the plan to roll our a men’s and other categories thereafter. We will spend this initial period gathering as much market feedback as possible to endure we are meeting the demands of our customers. Ultimately, we strive to be your go-to market place, for all your needs be it for you, your family, your children or your home.
We have exciting news for our customers, oreeeds application will be available for Android and IOS users very soon. This will make shopping experience more enjoyable and super convenient. At the end the day shopping should be a pleasurable experience rather than an inconvenient task.
Being pioneers in any industry is difficult and comes with its own challenges. We have an extraordinary team behind oreeed with a wealth of experience to help us navigate the difficulty that comes with doing business in Sudan in its current state. That said, we truly believe things will start getting better and we are excited to be able to enhance our services where possible.
Sudan is truly a unique market. Unlike more mature economies, Sudan has had to learn to adapt without the existence of true social media marketing and consumer data gathering. As such we are still heavily reliant on word of mouth and our own social media campaigns we run on social media platforms. The response has already been fantastic and we plan to expand this further into radio channels and social media influencers.
We will provide training for our vendors. Each vendor has an individualized backend – they will receive training on how to upload their merchandize on our website; nonetheless, the system is quite easy to navigate. Adding to that, they will be able to view the analysis of their sales. We have an efficient online platform where our vendors can oversee all details of their dealings with the utmost transparency. Like our customers, our vendors are important to us. We aim to provide all those lone vendors with no proper setup a place they can call home, they can rely on, and sell their products at ease.
The limits are endless. Having said that, taking a thoughtful and considered approach to scaling up is essential – and the sooner the better. Starting with expanding our services with Wad Madani and Port Sudan states as an initial phase and hopefully having a wide outreach in the remaining parts of Sudan in the near future.
Sudan Business Magazine
