How to start an online store in Egypt, start to launch.
A practical, step-by-step guide for Egyptian creators and small businesses. No jargon. No generic templates. Just what works in Egypt.
The 6 steps that actually matter
Most guides are written for the US. This one is written for Cairo, Alexandria, Mansoura, and everywhere else in Egypt.
1. Register your activity (commercial register)
You don't need a full company on day one. As a sole proprietor (تاجر فرد) you can register at the General Authority for Investment (GAFI) or your local commercial register office. Cost: ~EGP 500-1,500. Tax registration follows automatically. Skip this only if you're doing under EGP 500k/year and informal.
2. Pick what to sell, narrow, not broad
The single biggest mistake: trying to sell 'a bit of everything'. Pick one category (e.g. modest fashion, home fragrances, baby products) and become the place customers think of for that. Test demand by posting 5 product photos on Instagram before you buy inventory.
3. Build the store (the part Cartly handles)
This used to take 2 months and EGP 30,000 with a freelance developer. With Cartly, it takes 60 minutes: pick a template, add products, write descriptions in Arabic, and publish.
4. Connect payments, cards + COD
Egyptian online buyers split roughly 70/30 between Cash on Delivery and online card payments. Cartly enables both out of the box: COD with structured addresses and SMS confirmation, plus Visa/Mastercard checkout via Paymob, no separate merchant agreements to chase.
5. Marketing, Instagram + WhatsApp first
In Egypt, 80% of first sales come from Instagram (organic + ads) and WhatsApp (referrals). Don't waste month 1 on SEO or Google Ads. Post 3 product photos a week, run EGP 200/day Instagram ads, and use WhatsApp Business to handle inquiries.
6. Scale what works
After 60 days, look at which 20% of your products generate 80% of your revenue. Double down on those: better photos, more variations, more ad spend. Drop the long tail. Your second store category comes from your existing customers' wishlists, not from your hunches.
Common questions before you start
How much money do I need to start?
Realistically EGP 5,000-15,000 covers: a year of Cartly, initial inventory of 10-20 SKUs, basic product photography, and 30 days of Instagram ads. Less if you're doing print-on-demand or dropshipping; more if you're stocking expensive items like electronics.
Do I need to register a company before selling?
Not on day one. You can sell informally up to ~EGP 500k/year. Once you cross that or want to issue tax invoices to corporate customers, register as a sole proprietor, it costs EGP 500-1,500 and is also required for most payment gateway merchant accounts that need KYC.
How long does it actually take to launch?
Setup is 1-2 days (build store, add products, connect payments). The longer part is sourcing inventory, taking product photos, and writing descriptions, that's typically 1-2 weeks of focused work for a single category.
What's the cheapest way to take product photos?
A modern smartphone in window light against a white sheet beats EGP 5,000 of studio gear. Take from 3 angles, edit in the free Snapseed app, keep backgrounds plain. Don't spend money on photography until your first 100 orders prove the products sell.
Should I use Shopify or Cartly?
Shopify is excellent globally but charges in USD and requires you to negotiate Egyptian payment gateways yourself. Cartly is built for Egypt, Egyptian pricing in EGP, native COD with structured addresses, Paymob card payments, and a bilingual Arabic + English storefront. For an Egypt-focused store, Cartly is faster and cheaper to launch.
What if I want to expand beyond Egypt later?
Cartly supports a bilingual Arabic + English storefront from day one. Most Cartly stores start Egypt-only and expand to Saudi Arabia + UAE in year 2 once they've proven the model.