Sale of used properties booms online
Market analysts have observed an impressive performance in the sale of second-hand cars on classified websites like tonaton.com during the first half of the year.
Advertisement
This has reinforced confidence in online as an emerging platform for trading in second-hand goods in Ghana.
The increase in Internet usage is the result of the high levels of penetration in recent years. People are now looking at online classifieds as a viable platform for trading in second-hand items.
Internet penetration in Ghana is currently pegged at 14 per cent, up from 10 per cent in 2010.
Statistics reveal that some of the biggest items for online trading are vehicles, mobile phones and other properties.
These three categories reveal a total trading value of about GH¢734,628,000 in the second-quarter of 2013.
Statistics show that advertisements for second hand cars take up about 17 per cent of ads posted in the biggest online classified website in Ghana.
The big second-hand trading cities for cars in Ghana include Accra, Kumasi and Sekondi-Takoradi.
Vehicle brands include Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, VW, Mercedes, Ford, Mitsubishi, BMW and Nissan.
Accra serves as the main trading hub for cars with a trading value of about GH¢177,352,000.00. Prices of cars are evenly spread across all markets in Ghana with Sekondi -Takoradi, having a slightly more expensive car market. The second-hand car market has more flexibility in terms of bargains due to the high competition by several brands.
For instance, the average price of a used car in Accra is pegged at an average price of GH¢25,500 but a buyer could get the same car for GH¢23, 000 in Kumasi on Tonaton.com. There is a wide variety of car brands selling at competitive prices on Tonaton.com. The affluent can also purchase either a sporty Range Rover or Infinity on the site as well.
“Private persons have an unusual opportunity to take advantage of this record peak in the sale of cars online.
That five-year old car sitting in the garage at home may not seem so exciting to you anymore but to someone out there, it may be a dream come true” said the Marketing Manager for Tonaton.com, Mr Kwabena Opoku-Boakye.
“The use of online as a commercial platform is still relatively new in Ghana. Based on the numbers we are seeing after the launch of Tonaton.com in April, 2013, the trend is growing at a very fast rate. With more Ghanaians opting for free online classified sites like Tonaton.com, it has become the ideal platform for trading of vehicles. With this growing trend, online classifieds will become a key platform for people to visit when purchasing a car,” he added.
Story: Suleiman Mustapha