WOLIZ Partners with Morocco to Digitally Transform 20,000 Nanostores

Malaz Madani

Last updated 1-10-2025

3 min

WOLIZ collaborates with Morocco's Ministry to upgrade 20,000 neighbourhood shops with digital terminals.

Plans aim to expand the platform to cover 90,000 merchants, moving away from pen-and-paper methods.

Digital tools will ease shopkeepers' tasks, although some resistance to change is expected.

The project aims to boost financial inclusion and strengthen local economies.

Morocco may serve as a launchpad for similar initiatives across Africa.

WOLIZ has teamed up with Morocco’s Ministry of Industry and Trade in what looks like a landmark step for the country’s retail sector. The agreement, signed in Rabat at the end of September, will see 20,000 small neighbourhood shops—often called nanostores—outfitted with connected terminals. Beyond that, the company plans to expand its platform to cover as many as 90,000 merchants nationwide. That’s quite a leap for businesses that, until recently, relied almost entirely on pen-and-paper ledgers.

The drive is fairly straightforward: equip shopkeepers with digital tools that make their daily work less of a faff. From managing stock and handling payments to accessing broader market opportunities, these features could give small retailers a fighting chance in an increasingly tech-driven marketplace. On the flip side, it also requires shopkeepers—many of whom are set in their ways—to embrace methods that don’t always come naturally. I reckon some resistance is inevtiable, though the long-term upside is hard to ignore.

Beyond the numbers, WOLIZ is pitching this as more than just a technology rollout. The company emphasises that the project is tied to a broader ambition of strengthening financial inclusion across Africa while building resilience among tiny, last-mile businesses. And believe it or not, small corner shops like these are often seen as the backbone of local economies. Without them, daily life in countless Moroccan neighbourhoods would grind to a halt.

It’s also worth noting that Morocco is being positioned here as a sort of launchpad. If successful, the initiative may well ripple across other African countries, setting the stage for a regional transformation in how humble storefronts operate. Back when I first visited a family-run bodega-style shop in Casablanca, I remember the owner proudly showing me his handwritten notebook of debts and credits. Fast forward to now, the idea of him (or his peers) toggling a digital terminal feels like a different world altogether. Spot on, though—that’s how change often arrives: gradually, then suddenly.

At Arageek, where we’ve seen plenty of digitalisation stories come and go, this one feels particularly significant. Not flashy, not driven by hype—just a steady, practical attempt to connect tens of thousands of everyday merchants to the wider digital economy. If it sticks, Morocco’s corner shop future could look very different indeed.

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