Dalsey Hillblom Lynn (DHL) Express, an international courier company has developed a mobile and desktop application aimed at accelerating online shopping experience for Africa-based consumers.
Hennie Heymans, the Chief Executive Officer, DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, said that the new platform, “DHL Africa eShop’’ would enable customers to shop directly from more than 200 U.S. and UK-based online retailers.
Heymans said that all shipments would be delivered by DHL Express to the shopper’s door.
He said that DHL Africa eShop would be available in 11 African markets to start with, namely South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius, Ghana, Senegal, Rwanda, Malawi, Botswana, Sierra Leone and Uganda.
According to him, the solution is developed in partnership with Link Commerce – a division of Mall for Africa.
“The DHL Africa eShop app offers African consumers much greater access to international retailers on an easy-to-use platform.
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“DHL Africa eShop provides convenience, speed and access for online customers in Africa. As the global leader in express logistics, DHL is well positioned to connect African consumers with exciting global brands.
“This is yet another opportunity for DHL to reaffirm its commitment to supporting the growth of e-commerce in the region,’’ Heymans said in a statement on Thursday in Lagos state.
He noted that according to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, the demand for world-class online shopping opportunities was growing exponentially in Africa’s leading economies, as urbanisation and incomes continued to rise.
He said that in spite of the growing demand, many U.S. and UK-based retailers do not offer shipping to African countries, owing to the perceived logistical challenges involved such as high last-mile delivery costs and fraud concerns.
“However, DHL Express is the first express operator to set up in Africa over 40 years ago. So we are well-positioned to offer innovative and reliable solutions for the continent.
“E-commerce offers enormous potential for the region and we are proud to provide this platform to further connect African consumers with global opportunities,’’ Heymans said. (NAN)
