Kijiji: How a Canadian Woman’s Bold Bet on a Digital Village Built a $34 Billion Marketplace

Kijiji, meaning ’village’ in Swahili, emerged in 2005 as a grassroots initiative led by Canadian entrepreneur Janet Bannister under eBay’s umbrella, designed to meet the unmet demand for a localized online marketplace in Canada. Unlike its U.S. counterpart, which failed to compete with Craigslist, Kijiji thrived by focusing exclusively on Canadian communities, rapidly expanding nationwide and becoming the country’s most visited classifieds platform. Its success is rooted in a user-friendly model: free ad postings combined with optional paid visibility boosts like ’Top Ads’ and ’Bump Up,’ fostering a vibrant second-hand economy now valued at $34 billion annually in GDP contribution. Kijiji has become a cornerstone of sustainable consumption, enabling millions to repurpose furniture, vehicles, and gear instead of discarding them, while also offering critical services in jobs, housing, and pet adoption. However, its open model has attracted significant fraud, including puppy scams, overpayment schemes, and phishing attacks that have cost users thousands, prompting Kijiji to implement safety measures like in-platform messaging, user reviews, and scam detection tools. A 2015 legal resolution severed eBay’s ownership of both Kijiji and Craigslist after a bitter lawsuit over competitive interference, marking a pivotal moment in its independence. In 2020, Kijiji was acquired by Norwegian-based Adevinta in a landmark $9.2 billion deal, signaling strong confidence in its future. Despite rising competition from Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji maintains dominance in Canada with 14 million monthly users and over 6 million active listings, continually innovating through app redesigns and strategic partnerships. The platform’s evolution—from discontinuing unverifiable categories like tickets to launching Kijiji Autos—reflects its responsiveness to market and technological shifts. Looking ahead, deeper social media integration and ’buy now, pay later’ options aim to attract younger users. Kijiji’s enduring legacy lies in revitalizing local exchange in the digital age, proving that community-driven commerce remains not only viable but essential, transforming everyday transactions into acts of connection, sustainability, and economic resilience across Canada.

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