Meet Forwa Elade, Cameroonian innovator bridging the gap between buyers and sellers through tech

Using the iConz app, buyers and sellers in Cameroon can now easily trade with a single click. Who is the brain behind this digital marketing app, which has the potential to resolve disputes between buyers and sellers? MMI enters the technology company. Forwa Elade, 29, grew up in Acha-tugi, in the North West Region of Cameroon, and enjoyed toys.

Unfortunately for him, his parents were unable to purchase any for him due to a lack of funds. Elade saw his peers playing with toys because their parents could afford them at this time. He finds a way to meet his wants instead of merely watching.

The young man began creating the things he liked out of bamboo.

 That was the start of his talent showcase as he grew up to become an expert at solving various social problems.

He currently serves as the founder and CEO of the online marketing software iConz. With more than 35,000 users, the app has resolved issues for individuals who are having trouble buying or selling.

“It is a platform that links sellers and buyers together,” he said.

Through iConz, a seller puts up a product after due review and verification, and a buyer who wants it can engage the seller directly to negotiate the price.

This works basically for many businesses, ranging from real estate to selling and buying just about anything.

WHAT ARE THE STRUGGLES BEHIND THIS CREATION?

On Thursday, March 22, MMI was at the headquarters of iConz at Great Soppo in Buea, in the South West Region of Cameroon.

There, the 29-year-old shared the journey of how he came to be sitting behind a well-structured company as CEO and Founder.

Forwa Elade came to the University of Buea with a background in electrical engineering. While in UB’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology, what is today referred to as the Anglophone Crisis erupted.

That affected his family so much that they could not afford to sponsor him in school.

As such, he dropped out in his final year. That did not stop him from pursuing his dreams, as he continued doing research and teaching himself coding.

His friends will mock him as a dropout, but he was unstoppable. Even when the Internet was disconnected in the Anglophone Regions owing to the crisis, he would cross the Mungo River into the Littoral Region to do research.

While living in Molyko, a popular neighborhood in Buea, Elade realized that people always complained about things they wanted to buy but did not know where to find them.

“Someone will come and say he needs this or that but does not know where to get it from,” he said. 

Another problem was finding a house to rent. He said someone would walk the entire day struggling to look for a place to stay, to no avail.

These problems, Elade said, pushed him to start thinking of a solution. That is how iConz was born, giving buyers the easiest way to get connected to sellers. 

iConz has become one of the most widely used online marketing platforms in Cameroon.

His determination and his ability to never give up, he believes, are paying off.

In February this year, Elade was invited among three startup developers from Africa to showcase the app at Step2024 in Dubai, which is the biggest startup event in the United Arab Emirates.

“I couldn’t believe it when I received the invitation,” Elade said. He never knew the platform based in Cameroon could catch the attention of people that far in the UAE. 

His biggest challenge now is funding. That is because the two-year-old platform needs other hands to work with him. To get products listed on the platform, he said thorough scrutiny is done to ensure that buyers are not scammed. 

Forwa Elade has developed over 20 applications. However, iConz stands out. And to him, in five years, it will be one of the biggest online marketing platforms, not just in Cameroon but beyond Africa.
 
©Mimi Mefo Info