Built by an Army veteran with a decade in operational logistics.
AFRIKARS exists because every diaspora buyer has the same nightmare story. Wired money to a stranger, prayed it'd arrive, and got burned. We're fixing that.
A trustworthy bridge between continents.
Africans have always bought cars from overseas. Through cousins, agents, brokers, group chats. The market is huge (estimated $49B annually) and entirely informal. We're bringing transparency, escrow protection, verified inventory and real-time tracking to a process that's been opaque for decades.
Our north star: a buyer in Lagos, Accra or Nairobi should be able to purchase a Toyota Highlander in Houston with the same confidence they'd buy a phone on Jumia.
What we stand for
- Escrow on every transactionFunds released only after delivery.
- Verified inventoryTitle checks, inspections, real photos.
- Transparent pricingNo surprise duty, port or clearing fees.
- End-to-end logisticsFrom driveway to your door, tracked.
The problem we're solving
Every buyer faces three things: trust, transparency, and logistics. We tackle all three.
Trust gap
Buyers wire thousands of dollars to people they've never met, with no recourse if something goes wrong.
Escrow holds the money. Released only on confirmed delivery.
Hidden costs
Sticker price is just the beginning. Duty, CISS, clearing, port, and shipping can double the cost.
Our calculator itemizes every fee in USD and Naira before you commit.
Logistics chaos
Different agents for each leg, no tracking, weeks of uncertainty about where your car actually is.
One platform. End-to-end coordination. Real-time status tracking.
US Army veteran with a decade in operational logistics. Shipped and sold cars across continents long before AFRIKARS. Saw family and friends burned by failed cross-border transactions, and decided to fix it.
Founder's note
I'm a US Army veteran. The last decade of my career has been spent in operational logistics, moving people and cargo across continents under real constraints. Alongside that, I built a side life buying, shipping and selling vehicles across borders, including from the US, UK and Dubai into West Africa.
In that time I watched too many family members and friends get burned. Either the transaction failed, or the car they thought they were buying never showed up at all. Different countries, different brokers, same story.
Buying a car in Houston from Lagos shouldn't be a leap of faith. It shouldn't depend on who you know. Dealers shouldn't be charging exotic prices simply because they have access you don't. That access should be democratized.
AFRIKARS is that one-stop shop. Verified dealers. Verified clearing agents. Escrow on every transaction. Transparent landed-cost pricing in USD and Naira before you commit a single dollar. The car you buy is the car you receive — guaranteed. And when it comes to shipping and clearing, you don't have to worry. We handle the rest.
— Emmanuel Omotoso, Founder of AFRIKARS
Join us in fixing this.
Browse cars, try the calculator, or sign up to sell.