A major milestone for digital commerce in Solomon Islands was reached on Friday with the launch of TORO, the country’s first fully integrated online marketplace combining product sales, professional services, and digital content on a single platform.
The home-grown, female-led startup—launched on 28 November in Honiara—aims to address longstanding gaps in the country’s fragmented and largely informal e-commerce sector.
More than 100 users have already joined the platform, which offers mobile money integration and new income opportunities for creators, service providers, and small businesses.
Founder and CEO Angellina Fakaia said Toro was designed specifically for Solomon Islands conditions, including low-bandwidth areas, logistical constraints, and limited access to digital payments.
“We’re launching Solomon Islands’ own version of Amazon and Upwork on one platform,” Ms Fakaia told the Solomon Star.
“But we’ve built it for our context—integrated with mobile money, supported by pickup stations, and accessible even in low-bandwidth environments.”
She said e-commerce in the country has long been restricted, mostly operating through social media and largely centred in urban hubs.
“With 73.3 percent of our population in rural areas, barriers such as weak ICT infrastructure, poor logistics, and low uptake of mobile payments have kept many people out of formal digital commerce,” she said.
Three key marketplace categories
Toro combines three core streams:
- Physical goods
- Professional services
- Digital content
Ms Fakaia said vendors can now build their own online storefronts to sell anything from fresh produce and handicrafts to repair services, consultations, and educational materials.
“The digital content feature is a first for the country, allowing musicians, artists, educators, and designers to monetise their work through downloads, streaming, and paid content,” she said.
A highlight of the platform is its affiliate marketing program, led by brand ambassador Salote Ziru.
The initiative enables content creators to earn commissions by promoting local vendors and services across their social media channels.
“Content creators already hold strong trust in their communities. Working with them helps vendors reach the public through authentic local voices,” Ms Fakaia noted.
Toro is the first platform in the country to fully integrate mobile money for payments. Customers may also choose cash on delivery or bank transfer options, with credit and debit card payments expected soon.
Tackling logistics with PUDO stations
To address persistent delivery challenges, Toro operates three Pick-Up/Drop-Off (PUDO) stations at Smart Technology outlets in Tandai, Point Cruz, and AJ Mall. These hubs allow customers to browse products, place orders, receive assistance, and collect or drop off packages.
Toro currently offers four delivery options:
- Door-to-door delivery
- Seller drop-off
- Buyer pick-up
- PUDO station collection
Ms Fakaia said these systems were created to serve both rural and urban users, including unbanked communities.
The launch directly supports the Solomon Islands National E-commerce Strategy (2022–2027) and aligns with the Pacific E-Commerce Roadmap (2021–2025).
Despite 547,000 mobile connections—66 percent of the population—and 42.5 percent internet penetration, many Solomon Islanders remain excluded from formal digital markets due to weak delivery networks and limited online infrastructure.
Ms Fakaia described Toro as a proudly local innovation.
“We’re not trying to replicate foreign platforms. This is a home-grown solution built around our constraints and opportunities,” she said.
“If we can make digital commerce inclusive here, it will prove what’s possible across the Pacific.”
Expansion plans and two-way trade
Ms Fakaia said Toro is preparing to expand to Gizo, Auki, and Makira.
“We plan to operate in Gizo first, likely in the first quarter of next year—depending on our schedule,” she said.
“This is not an easy task. Collaboration and partnership will be essential.”
She added that while the network structure is in place, strengthened partnerships are needed because “we cannot do everything.”
Toro is also exploring two-way trade opportunities using the same digital marketplace model by connecting Solomon Islands directly to Australia.
“We’ve received feedback from customers in Australia and vendors in Solomon Islands wanting direct delivery,” she explained.
“This sparked the idea of establishing a branch in Brisbane to support two-way trade. We were also approached by Pacific Trade Investment (PTI Australia) for preliminary discussions on exporting niche products. Toro staff could use the Brisbane–Munda and Brisbane–Honiara flights to physically transport orders, depending on systems we put in place.”
Ms Fakaia said her long-term vision is to see local SMEs grow and succeed.
“More importantly, we want to see how local SMEs grow—and we want to assist and grow alongside them,” she added.
Toro is Solomon Islands’ first integrated e-commerce platform supporting product sales, service bookings, and digital content monetisation. Established in 2025 by CEO Angellina Fakaia, the platform integrates mobile money payments, flexible delivery systems through PUDO stations and Cab’It, and a creator-driven affiliate marketing program.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star Gizo
