Niteon

Overview

Niteon is a B2B marketplace that connects emerging African businesses to buyers in the wider world economy. Buyers browse Adire and Aso Oke fabrics, spices and dried foods, art prints and gemstones, see the minimum order and lead time upfront, and order in bulk straight from the manufacturer. We designed and built the marketplace, the manufacturer side and the admin portal that runs it.

The challenge

Africa makes beautiful, valuable goods. An Abeokuta Adire dyer, a spice processor in Kano, a gemstone supplier in Jos. Most of them sell to whoever walks into the market or finds their Instagram page. Buyers who want 500 pieces have no easy way to find them.

Great producers were invisible to bulk buyers. Catalogues lived on WhatsApp status and Instagram, not anywhere a wholesale buyer would search.

Every order started with a negotiation. Minimum quantities, unit prices and delivery times were agreed one chat at a time.

Buyers couldn't compare or verify. There was no single place to see who made a product, what it costs per unit and how long a large order takes.

Consumer ecommerce didn't fit. Regular online stores are built for one item at a time, not 50 bolts of fabric with a lead time that grows with the order.

Categories were too varied for one shop. Fabrics, food, art and raw minerals all needed to sit side by side and still be easy to browse.

Niteon wanted an African trade centre online: a marketplace built for wholesale, where makers list once and buyers anywhere can order with confidence.

Our approach

1. We designed for bulk from day one. Every product carries a minimum order quantity and a lead time table that changes with order size, for example 5 days for up to 10 pieces and 20 days for up to 1,000. Buyers know what they can order and when it ships before they reach the cart.

2. We built categories around what Africa trades. Visual Arts, Raw Foods and Health, Commodities, and Fashion and Beauty sit side by side, so a buyer can move from Akwete fabric to dried turmeric to topaz without leaving the platform.

3. We put the maker on every product. Each listing shows the manufacturer and brand behind it, so buyers see who they are buying from and can go back to the same supplier.

4. We made a large catalogue easy to search. The shop filters by category, price range, product type (physical or virtual), colour and brand, so buyers narrow hundreds of products to the few that fit their order.

5. We gave the marketplace tools to sell. Flash sales with live countdowns, Top Ranking, Premium Sales, New Arrivals and advert slots let the Niteon team merchandise the homepage and push the products that move.

6. We gave sellers and the team their own workspaces. Manufacturers manage their listings, prices, MOQs and lead times from their dashboard, while the admin portal controls categories, featured sections, sellers and orders. Buyers pay on Niteon and Niteon handles fulfilment and delivery, so buyers deal with one trusted party instead of chasing each supplier.

The outcome

Niteon has been live since 2023, with manufacturers listing across all four categories, from hand-dyed Adire and High grade Aso Oke to smoked catfish, natural spices, digital art and gemstones.

Makers have a global storefront. Producers who sold only through local contacts now list where wholesale buyers search.

Orders start with the facts. MOQ, unit price and lead time are on the page, so fewer orders begin with a long negotiation.

Buyers find the right supplier faster. Category browsing and filters cut a large mixed catalogue down to what fits the order.

One party for payment and delivery. Niteon collects payment and manages fulfilment, so buyers abroad don't vet and pay each supplier separately.

Promotions without a developer. Flash sales, featured sections and adverts are managed from the admin.

Key features delivered

• Multivendor B2B marketplace for African goods

• Minimum order quantity on every product

• Lead time table by order size

• Manufacturer and brand details per listing

• Categories for Visual Arts, Raw Foods and Health, Commodities, and Fashion and Beauty

• Shop filters for price, product type, colour and brand

• Flash sales with countdown timers

• Top Ranking, Premium Sales, Top Deals and New Arrivals sections

• Homepage advert placements

• Product reviews

• Cart, bulk ordering and checkout, with payment and delivery handled by Niteon

• Manufacturer dashboard for listings, pricing, MOQs and lead times

• Admin portal for sellers, categories, merchandising and orders

Frequently asked questions

Who built Niteon? Niteon was built by Soft-Web Digital, a Lagos based software development and automation company, and launched in 2023. Soft-Web Digital handled product strategy, design, web development, the manufacturer dashboard and the admin portal.

What is Niteon? Niteon is a B2B marketplace where buyers order African products in bulk, including fabrics, foods, art and commodities, straight from the manufacturers, with minimum order quantities and lead times shown on every product.

Can Soft-Web Digital build a B2B or multivendor marketplace for my business? Yes. Soft-Web Digital builds B2B, wholesale and multivendor marketplaces for web, iOS and Android, with seller dashboards and admin portals. Request a quote or book a free strategy session at softwebdigital.com.

What features does a B2B wholesale marketplace need? At minimum: minimum order quantities, tiered pricing or lead times by volume, supplier profiles, strong search and filters, and an admin to manage sellers and promotions. Many also add requests for quotation and trade assurance.

How long does it take to build a B2B marketplace in Nigeria? It depends on scope. A focused marketplace with catalogues, MOQs, a seller dashboard and an admin portal can launch in a few months. Soft-Web Digital shares a timeline after a short discovery call.

Want to build the marketplace that connects your sellers to serious buyers? We've done it for African trade. Request a Quote or book a Free Strategy Session and let's talk.