The Management of QNET, one of Asia’s leading e-commerce direct selling companies, has shrugged off perceptions that it is an investment or a Ponzi scheme.

Mr Biram Fall, the Regional General Manager for QNET in Sub-Saharan Africa, said: "QNET is a credible direct selling business that has been in existence for 23 years and serving the needs of its customers across different parts of the world and can’t be a Ponzi scheme.”

Interacting with the media, he explained that direct selling companies manufactured their own products and cut out large wholesalers and retailers, and distributed their products directly to the end-user using an e-commerce platform or through people, who registered with them as direct distributors.

Mr Fall said the business offered a wide range of health, wellness and lifestyle products that enabled people to lead better lives.

He said direct selling had been around for over 200 years and very popular in the United States and many parts of the world, and gradually becoming the new normal amid COVID-19 and must be welcomed by all.

The challenges the industry faced included lack of understanding of how the sector worked and legislation to govern its activities in Africa, he said, adding that efforts were being made to address them.

Mr Fall stressed that direct selling helped to create wealth for individuals who had entrepreneurial spirit and disposition.

"So, instead of big wholesale companies keeping shares of the profit on each item, those profits go directly to individuals who buy those products, so that’s not an investment or a Ponzi scheme," he emphasized.

Mr Fall said people who understood the nature of the business took advantage of the opportunity and created wealth for themselves over time, and with dint of hard work and perseverance, they succeeded.

He said QNET’s grassroots business model, fuelled by the power of e-commerce, had helped empower millions of entrepreneurs in more than 100 countries worldwide.

"QNET is headquartered in Hong Kong and has a presence in more than 25 countries around the world through subsidiaries, branch offices, agency partnerships, and franchisees," the Regional Manager said.

Ms Maxime Peti, the Public Relations Manager for QNET in Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasised that: "QNET does not support any get-rich quick notion."

"You can either buy these products and use personally for health and wellbeing or choose the entrepreneurial path by registering as an independent representative and refer others to buy our products. You get commission on every referral sale,” she said.

Ms Peti said QNET was well established in Ghana and supporting the ANOPA project in the Central Region. ANOPA is an acronym that builds on the enthusiasm of young people for sports and encourages them to take a serious look at socially relevant issues.

Ms Peti said the company had also supported the National Chief Imam’s Educational Foundation and had religiously donated assorted items to the needy in Accra, Kumasi and Tamale during the Ramadan.