Chowdeck, the Nigeria-based on-demand delivery platform, says it fulfilled more than one million customer orders in October, its highest monthly tally to date. The company frames the milestone as evidence that its unit economics are strengthening alongside scale. Leadership positioned the performance as a marker of operational maturity while acknowledging service strains that accompanied the surge.
Milestone and Financial Signals
According to CEO and co-founder Femi Aluko, Chowdeck ended October with a positive gross margin of 26 percent. Management argues this demonstrates the platform can grow volumes while preserving discipline on costs and incentives. The company described the result as a step toward a more durable model after several months of rising demand.
Scale and Operations
Chowdeck reported that average daily orders in Nigeria recently climbed from about 30,000 to more than 40,000, with volumes continuing to trend upward. The company says its network spans multiple cities and is supported by a large pool of riders and restaurant partners. Leadership credited customers, vendors, and couriers for the throughput and emphasized plans to deepen reliability as volumes rise.
Execution Challenges and Customer Trust
Aluko acknowledged operational and support bottlenecks during the ramp, calling the period “a new era of growth” that exposed pressure points. The team says it is addressing response times, routing, and service quality while communicating more proactively with users. Management framed continued usage as an indicator of trust across customers, merchants, and riders despite recent friction.
Product Evolution and Ecosystem Role
Chowdeck began in 2021 focused on food delivery and has broadened into a logistics and technology stack that connects consumers to restaurants, groceries, and essentials. The company says it now provides tools that support partner performance, inventory, and payments, positioning the platform as an enablement layer for merchants. Leadership argues this integrated approach improves fulfillment speed and retention for both users and vendors.
Market Context and Competitive Landscape
Africa’s convenience economy is expanding as urban consumers adopt time-saving services and merchants digitize last-mile distribution. Within that landscape, Chowdeck’s million-order month highlights intensifying competition to standardize reliability, shorten delivery windows, and defend margins. Operators across the region are balancing voucher-led growth with a pivot to profitability, making Chowdeck’s gross margin disclosure a notable datapoint.
Growth Metrics and Geographic Footprint
Company communications indicate a user base in the low millions across Nigeria, with activity in additional West African markets. Chowdeck cites tens of thousands of active riders and an operating footprint that includes 11 cities, reflecting a hub-and-spoke expansion model. Management also points to a sixfold year-over-year increase in the value of meals delivered in 2024, suggesting broad adoption by both new and existing customers.
Funding, Efficiency, and Sustainability
While the company did not disclose new financing alongside the milestone, the focus on positive gross margin signals an emphasis on efficiency. Management says tighter cost controls, denser batching, and improved partner tools contributed to October’s unit economics. The company maintains that these levers, if sustained, can reduce promotion dependence and smooth seasonal volatility.
Outlook and Next Steps
Chowdeck plans to deepen hyperlocal operations, broaden category coverage, and extend to more cities as it targets greater market penetration. Leadership says the priority is to harden systems for reliability, strengthen partner economics, and keep customer acquisition costs in check. The company expects continued order growth and is preparing for peak-season demand with additional operational safeguards.
Chowdeck’s one-million-order month marks a significant scale milestone for an African delivery platform, paired with a headline gross margin that underscores a push toward healthier unit economics. Sustaining that combination will hinge on execution in support, logistics, and partner management as volumes climb. If the company can maintain reliability while expanding, it will strengthen its position in a rapidly formalizing convenience market.