Port Vila, Vanuatu – 18 February 2026 – A young entrepreneur from Vanuatu is redefining what employment can look like after university. Instead of seeking a traditional job, Rexta Abraham, an Economics and Business graduate from the University of the South Pacific, is building his own opportunities through online business, also thanks to what he learnt at the Training Workshop component of the PIFS E‑Biz program.
From Sarete Village in Espiritu Santo, Rexta first came across the program through a Facebook advert and applied mostly out of curiosity. Though he was not new to business and entrepreneurship, the training opened his eye to something new: how e‑commerce can expand reach, reduce marketing costs, and help him find clients faster. When asked to share his testimony about the E-Biz training program, Rexta explained:
“I had planned to start a business in Port Vila and import second–hand clothes to resell here. However, after taking the course, I discovered two things: first, the power of the internet when used correctly to create business opportunities; and second, how effective it is to reach customers through digital marketing without needing to leave my home.”
Just a year after completing the course, Rexta has already set up two growing businesses:
- Aelan Basket (under development)
An online shopping platform designed to connect customers with key supermarkets in Vanuatu. It will also allow drop‑shipping from platforms such as Alibaba and Shein. Drop-shipping is a business model where you can sell products online without keeping any stock. When someone buys from you, you place the order with a supplier, and the supplier ships the item straight to the customer. The service is especially useful for seasonal workers abroad, giving them a simple way to shop for their families back home from abroad, cutting down on remittance misuse, saving time, and ensuring essential items reach households directly.
- City Cars Vanuatu (operational via Facebook)
An online marketplace for second‑hand vehicle set up in late 2025 and with already over 11,000 followers. Currently, it is operating on Facebook only. To date, the company has sold, on average, three vehicles per month. The business targets both domestic buyers and Ni‑Vanuatu living abroad who want a trusted seller for vehicles in country.
Rexta is currently in discussion with the two telecommunication companies in Vanuatu to integrate both his business platforms with mobile payment solutions, namely M-Vatu (Vodafone) and MyCash (Digicel). Allowing customer payments via mobile wallet addresses two common barriers: the limited number of people in Vanuatu who own a Visa card and the lack of trust in buying goods online. By using familiar mobile wallets and having a physical presence in Vanuatu, he hopes to reduce perceived risks and increase consumer confidence to buying online.
The PIFS E-Biz Plus program aims at supporting MSMEs in starting their business journey online, and Rexta’s experience is a powerful testament to what the program aims to positively impact. It demonstrates how digital skills can open new opportunities for youth, foster innovation and contribute to Vanuatu’s growing digital economy. The implementation of the PIFS E-Biz Plus program was kindly supported by the PACER Plus Implementation Unit.