How to Price COD Products in Africa

1. Start from your real costs

Your price must pay for much more than the product. In COD, every delivered order also carries the ad cost of the leads that were never confirmed or delivered. That is why a good rule is to sell at at least 4× your landed cost (product + shipping + customs, per unit).

Before fixing a price, put your numbers in the COD profit calculator: price, landed cost, fees, cost per lead, confirmation rate and delivery rate. If the profit per delivered order is thin, raise the price or build a bundle — do not hope that volume will fix it.

2. Always show the price in local currency

Show KES in Kenya, TZS in Tanzania, GHS in Ghana and ZMW in Zambia — never only dollars.
Use round, easy numbers that people read in one second, without decimals.
Write the total the customer will pay at the door. A surprise at the door is one of the main reasons for refusals.
Check exchange rates regularly: when a currency moves, your margin moves with it.

3. The price range that sells

On these markets, most COD winners sell between about

0 and $35 — for example around 2,600–4,500 KSh in Kenya or 50,000–90,000 TSh in Tanzania. In Ghana and Zambia, convert the same range at the current rate.

Below that range, the margin rarely survives ads and delivery. Above it, customers hesitate more and refuse more often at the door, so the product must clearly look worth it in the video.

4. Build a 1-2-3 offer

The best way to earn more per order is not a higher single price, it is a bigger basket. One lead then pays for several units.

Option	Example (Kenya)	Role
1 piece	3,500 KSh	Entry price, must stay attractive
2 pieces	5,900 KSh	Main offer — highlight it
3 pieces	7,900 KSh	Best value, anchors the price

Show the saving in money ("save 1,100 KSh"), not in percent. More ideas in our guide on offers and stock management.

5. Delivery fee: included or shown?

Customers prefer one clear price. Two simple options work:

Delivery included in the price — the simplest message: "Free delivery, pay at the door".
Free delivery from 2 pieces — pushes the bundle and protects your margin on single units.

Avoid adding a delivery fee at the last moment on the phone or at the door: it creates refusals.

6. Test prices the right way

Test one change at a time (price or offer), on the same product and the same creative.
Give each version enough leads before deciding — a few days, not a few hours.
Judge on profit per delivered order, not on the number of leads. A cheaper price can bring more leads and still earn less.
Watch the delivery rate: if a higher price lowers it a lot, the product does not look worth that price yet.

Next step

With CODSwiftly you only pay for delivered orders, returns are free, and your dashboard shows every delivered order and its amount — so you can see which price really makes money in Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and Zambia.