Uganda is among the first countries that will enjoy the services of DHL eShop, an e-commerce app that has been rolled out by American courier firm DHL. It went live today.
Other countries are South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mauritius, Ghana, Senegal, Rwanda, Malawi, Botswana, and Sierra Leone.
DHL eShop will give these African markets access to more than two hundred retailers from the U.S. and UK.
To make its service more efficient, DHL has partnered with e-commerce giant MallforAfrica, which has experience collaborating with powerful brands like Macy’s and Best Buy.
MallforAfrica was created to help artisans sell on a global stage and simplify the ability to buy directly from African craftspeople and small enterprises.
According to TechCrunch, MallforAfrica will offer its white label service, Link Commerce and the payment methods will include local fintech options, such as Nigeria’s Paga and Kenya’s M-Pesa.
DHL Africa eShop takes advantage of shipping giant’s existing delivery structure on the continent, able to get goods to doorsteps near and far through its DHL Express shipping, tracking, and courier service.
In a statement, according to TechCrunch, DHL Express CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa referred to the DHL Africa eShop app as something that “provides convenience, speed, and access to connect African consumers with exciting brands.”
The launch of DHL eShop comes at a time when the e-commerce sector in Africa has gone through turbulent times, with, in 2018, one retailer in Nigeria being sold at a loss and another shutting down.
Africa’s most valuable firm Naspers was also forced to sell OLX Africa to Jiji after struggling to sustain the classifieds platform.
However, according to the B2C E-Commerce Market report for 2018, the volume of online retail trade in Africa is on the rise and is projected to reach $300bn by 2025.
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