DHL - Afrikan Heroes

DHL launches dedicated air freight service from China to Africa and Middle East

April 22, 2020

Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa

DHL Global Forwarding has launched a dedicated 100-tonne weekly air freight service for organizations and governments shipping goods from China to Africa and Middle East. Capitalizing on Dubai’s strategic geographical location as the gateway to countries in the region, the leading international provider of air, sea and road freight services will consolidate cargo from across China into Guangzhou and air freight them via Dubai to their various destinations across Africa and Middle East, all within two or three days.

“DHL Global Forwarding is bolstering logistics support to our customers in the region who need to ensure stable supply chains, especially for medical and critical supplies during this critical period. With multiple flight cancellations that has strained worldwide air freight capacity, we remain committed to leveraging our capabilities, global network and customized solutions to ensure that goods and critical resources continue to reach people and communities in Africa and the Middle East,” said Amadou Diallo, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East, and Africa.

With its geographical location and superior infrastructure as a transit hub, Dubai plays a key role as a gateway between China and the rest of Africa and the Middle East. Africa is Dubai’s third largest trading partner in volume terms and Africa’s non-oil trade with Dubai has been growing steadily over the last decade, accounting for 10.5% of the emirate’s total non-oil foreign trade in 2018. Named after the Nguni Bantu word, ubuntu (“humanity”) used across Africa to refer to the universal bond of sharing, UbuntuConnect refers to the China-Africa lane where bulk of the cargo is expected to comprise personal protective gear such as masks, gloves, hand sanitisers and goggles. Equally, part of the cargo will head to other countries in the Middle East to plug the demand gap there.

Whilst the secured uplift from China will be in operation for four weeks starting April 21, DHL Global Forwarding is actively seeking to secure routes to all of Africa and boost capacity to the Middle East and Africa in the longer term.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

DHL: 50 Years of Disrupting the Parcel Delivery Industry

November 27, 2019

Founded in San Francisco in 1969 when three friends came together to take what was then described as the biggest risk in parcel delivery business with hope to shake up an industry monopolized by national postal services. The three entrepreneurs Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom, and Robert Lynn used the initials of their last names to form the name of the company-DHL.They initially started by transporting customs documents by air and as a result, the time taken for customs to process freight shipments was dramatically reduced.

Adrian Dalsey, Co-Founder DHLAdrian Dalsey, Co-Founder DHL

With the initial success, DHL started circumventing bureaucracy with an innovative new service to deliver documents by air overnight. Since then, DHL has grown into a globe-spanning family of DHL companies with about 380,000 employees in over 220 countries and territories that covers the entire spectrum of logistics and supply chain services. DHL’s customer-centricity and can-do culture have fueled five decades of innovation – from the DHL 1000, one of the first word processing computers in the world, to using the purpose built StreetScooter, an environmentally friendly delivery vehicle powered by an electric drive and developed by Deutsche Post DHL Group. With the Mission 2050 commitment to reach zero group-wide emissions by 2050, DHL is continuing to be a trailblazer in the logistics industry.

Today, the company offers an unrivaled portfolio of logistics services ranging from national and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillment solutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrial supply chain management. DHL connects people and businesses securely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutions for growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences and healthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporate responsibility and an unrivaled presence in developing markets, DHL is decisively positioned as “The logistics company for the world”.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

DHL Launches Africa eShop With Access to Leading Global Online Retailers

Global logistics firm DHL has launched a new app platform called Africa eShop giving millions of Africans access to purchase products from major global online shops across the world as DHL Express guarantees reliable and on-time deliveries of orders anywhere in Africa.

With Black Friday only days away, many ardent shoppers have been on the lookout for the best possible deals. Black Friday originated in the US and has fast become known as the start of the famous sales weekend following Thanksgiving Day, with brands offering unprecedented deals and discounts to shoppers. DHL’s Africa eShop app connects shoppers across Sub Saharan Africa with some of the very best deals on offer from leading online retailers in the US & UK.

Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, explains that the app offers African consumers unprecedented access to over 200 US- and UK-based online retailers on an easy-to-use platform, with great convenience and speed. “The DHL Africa eShop enables African customers to shop directly from over 200 highly sought after US- and UK-based online retailers, with purchases delivered to their door, by DHL Express.”

Since its initial introduction in April of this year, the DHL Africa eShop app has seen its user base grow rapidly, and within the first three months of operation, it had already been rolled out to 34 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.

“African consumers have direct access to the season’s hottest deals on stores such as Amazon, Macy’s and Next to name a few, with a huge variety of products on offer, from clothing to electronics, consumer products and a host of products in between. It’s our aim to connect African shoppers to some of the best Black Friday deals on the continent,” adds Heymans.

“We’ve already seen a large surge in app downloads and orders in the build-up to Black Friday, and with a number of stores already offering pre-Black Friday deals. Given the high volume of online shopping traffic over this period, it is important to be assured that your online order is being shipped by a reliable service provider. Africa eShop gives you that peace of mind, as all deliveries are handled by DHL.”

“We are extremely passionate about driving e-commerce growth and adoption on the continent and our DHL Africa eShop app is perfectly positioned to increase access to exciting global brands,” concludes Heymans.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

DHL Global Forwarding Wins Africa’s Certified Top Employer for 2020

November 25, 2019

For creating an environment that has led to implementation of “people first” human resource best practices in Cameroon, Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa, and also investing in the best team of freight forwarding experts across the continent, DHL Global Forwarding has been recognized as Africa’s top employer. The certification which was awarded by Top Employer Institute, attests to DHL’s achievement in implementing best practices, focused on fostering a positive work environment and encouraging its employees’ personal and professional development.

The HR Best Practice Survey conducted by the Top Employers Institute is designed to identify companies demonstrating a continuous commitment to empowering their employees for a better world of work. Primarily, it looks into key areas within the organization including talent strategy, talent acquisition, learning and development, performance Management, leadership development and culture.

Speaking on the recognition, the CEO DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa, Amadou Diallo said that people development anchors their business strategy “because we believe that when we invest in building motivated and well-engaged teams, they will deliver their best for our customers. Therefore, we have always invested in training and engagement programs to ensure that our employees possess the right skill sets, values and winning mindsets, to best achieve their career aspirations with the company”.

Eva Mattheeussen, Head of Human Resources, DHL Global Forwarding Middle East and Africa said, “We work very closely with the country teams to ensure that people development is at the heart of the organization and that leaders always keep an eye on employees’ personal and professional well-being. Over the years, we have built a robust program to keep employees engaged and are equipped to provide best-in-class logistics services to our customers. Our status as a Top Employer this year highlights our achievement and commitment to being an employer of choice in the region.”

At DHL Global Forwarding, training opportunities and talent development programs are consistently reviewed to ensure that they are the most rigorous, and benchmarked against the requirements of the industry. All employees go through a mandatory DHL Certified Forwarder program upon induction, to ensure that they adhere to the same global standards as colleagues in the global network, abiding by the strictest code of conduct and business principles. In Africa, DHL Global Forwarding has been running a successful Talent program since 2015, which identifies and provides high-performing non-executives with coaching and mentorship opportunities and project tasks, to prepare them for future leadership roles within the organization. Diversity in the workforce is also celebrated and there is a “Women in Leadership” program tailored to prepare selected individuals for country leadership positions in the near future.

In total, Top Employer Institute has certified and recognized over 1500 Top Employers in more than 118 countries and regions across five continents and impacted the lives of over 6 million employees around the world. As the global authority on excellence in people practices in the workplace, the organization certifies and recognizes companies in participating countries who demonstrate that they are an employer of choice in the regions in which they operate.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.

DHL Africa eShop Online Retail App Now In 34 countries

September 9, 2019

It would now be safe to conclude that DHL is positioning itself to become the largest logistics company in Africa, a network it could leverage to crush all existing logistics startups in Africa and invade all ecommerce businesses available across the continent. In its latest move, DHL has further expanded its Africa DHL Africa eShop business to 13 additional markets, increasing the presence of the global shipping company’s e-commerce platform to 34 African countries.

“For some of these countries no one has really tapped into e-commerce the way we’re tapping into it, with an ability to buy online and also buy online directly from places like Macy’s or Amazon,” MallforAfrica CEO Chris Folayan was quoted as saying, pointing to the novelty of online sales in many of Africa eShop’s new markets

Here Is All You Need To Know

DHL Africa eShop works by using startup MallforAfrica.com’s white label fulfillment service, Link Commerce.
The MallforAfrica’s model allows Africa eShop users to purchase goods directly from the websites of any of the app’s global partners.
This week’s expansion is the second for DHL’s Africa eShop, after adding 9 markets in May.
DHL’s moves run parallel to significant developments this year in the Africa’s online retail scene — namely Jumia’s big capital raise through its IPO.

List of Countries DHL Africa eShop Is Now Available In

DHL Africa eShop’s latest expansion efforts have seen the addition of these countries to the list: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Lesotho, Namibia, Niger, Sudan, Togo, and Zimbabwe.

DHL is leveraging existing startups across Africa to execute its programme. Users of the platform could make payments using local fintech options, such as Nigeria’s Paga and Kenya’s M-Pesa. DHL Africa eShop is also banking on its existing shipping delivery structure on the continent, through its DHL Express courier service.

In Practical Terms, This Is How Disruptive This Could Be

Under DHL’s disruptive order, someone with a mobile phone and bank account in, say, Niger can now use DHL’s app to shop at Macys.com and have anything from designer sneakers to kitchenware shipped to their doorstep in Central-Africa.

The DHL Africa eShop project is also getting aggressive as it is also offering incentives to entice first-time digital consumers.

“We will be launching with a promo, buy any 5 items from over 100 retail partners and get a $20 flat shipping fee. This is DHL’s way of showing they are dominant in shipping and eCommerce in Africa.”

According to online technology magazine Techcrunch, the launch and expansion of DHL’s MallforAfrica supported platform is creating a competitive scenario with e-commerce unicorn Jumia.

Jumia is Africa’s most visible e-tailer and operates consumer retail and online service verticals in 14 African countries. Headquartered in Lagos, the company raised more than $200 million in an NYSE IPO this April.

DHL launched the Africa eShop product the day before Jumia went public and made its first country expansion only weeks after.

DHL and partner MallforAfrica plan to bring Africa eShop to all 54 African countries in coming years.

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based Lawyer with special focus on Business Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Entertainment and Technology Law. He is also an award-winning writer. Working for notable organizations so far has exposed him to some of industry best practices in business, finance strategies, law, dispute resolution, and data analytics both in Nigeria and across the world.

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DHL partners with Teach For Uganda to create greater employability among youth

July 20, 2019

DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain, part of the Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL Group), launched a partnership today with Teach For Uganda, a network partner of Teach For All, to eradicate education inequity, raise a nation of true leaders and promote educational opportunities and employability for young people in Uganda.

This marks DPDHL Group’s 18th partnership with Teach For All under the new strategic framework(1), a focus to nurture employability and life skills of young people from difficult socio-economic backgrounds around the world, and its first partnership in Africa.

James Kassaga Arinaitwe, Founder and CEO of Teach For Uganda, said, “We believe in the potential of all children to thrive and become better leaders in their various communities. The partnership with DHL Uganda will accelerate our momentum and help us improve the lives of the children through excellent and practical education and develop our fellows as effective teachers and leaders in their communities and nation.”

Along with providing financial support, this partnership will also see employees from DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, and DHL Supply Chain volunteer to support over 36 Teach For Uganda Fellows who will, in turn, make a positive impact in the lives of at least 15,000 students across Uganda.

“According to Uganda Census data, over half of Uganda’s population comprises youth under the age of 29 and it is estimated that 86% of those are unemployed, underemployed or at the level of becoming employable. (2) While we understand there is much to be done in order to close the gap, we hope that the engagement our volunteers will have with Ugandan youth will help improve these numbers,” said Fatma Abubakar, Country Manager, DHL Express Uganda.

Paul Erongot, Country Manager, DHL Global Forwarding Uganda added, “Globally DHL is committed to improving the communities in which we operate. Having been in Uganda for over 30 years, we want to be able to create a positive impact within the local community. We hope our volunteers’ interactions with these youth will help provide them with an understanding of

what the demands of the real working world are, and the skills they need to tackle these challenges head-on.”

Zachary Mukwaya, General Manager, Country Operations Uganda, DHL Supply Chain continued, “We are looking at giving the youth exposure and access to business leaders as well as skills-based training. Over time as the interactions grow between DHL volunteers and the Teach for Uganda students, we hope to nurture a cohort of youth who are more confident, focused and own the skills needed to move forward in their careers.”

Teach For Uganda recruits exceptional Ugandan graduates from diverse fields of study, who are trained to become teachers, known as Teach for Uganda Fellows, then placed in underserved schools and communities around the country as Teach For Uganda participants. These teacher-leaders would commit two years as teachers and mentors to their students.

In addition to giving their time to Teach for Uganda, DHL volunteers will continue to support SOS Children’s Villages Uganda with whom it has had a partnership since 2013.

Deutsche Post DHL Group’s corporate responsibility program “Living Responsibility” is comprised of three programs focused on environmental protection (GoGreen), disaster management (GoHelp) and education (GoTeach). Under the GoTeach program, Deutsche Post DHL Group provides support to Teach For All as well as 18 other network partners in the Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.