Logistics company DHL has projected an economic growth of 4.9 per cent in 2015 in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), expecting the year to be one of growth for the company, driven by consumer demand and eCommerce
According to DHL Express SSA managing director Charles Brewer, a principal focus for DHL Express SSA in 2015 is to strengthen connectivity – within the continent and globally – crucial to catering to the eCommerce market.
“There is a growing business-to-consumer (B2C) eCommerce market in Africa due to the development and accessibility of technology on the continent, so it is no longer just the larger corporations that need to make use of logistics and delivery services, but individual consumers and small businesses too. Our goal is to develop the necessary infrastructure in Africa to make the global market more accessible.”
The company’s retail presence has risen from 300 outlets to more than 3,800 outlets in three years. Brewer said that such growth would be further bolstered by the increase in intra-African trade. The East African Community (EAC), The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Economic Community (AEC) have been working on improving connectivity between African nations and making the rules of trading more flexible.
More countries are recognising that they need to find ways to make their markets accessible and easier to do business with, said Brewer. “We will continue our aggressive investment and expansion strategy on the continent, with a number of planned upgrades scheduled for 2015, including state-of-the-art smartphone scanners to further enhance our tracking capabilities.”
