By Eamonn Ryan
DHL Group has unveiled plans to invest more than EUR300-million in sub-Saharan Africa, with a strategic focus on strengthening healthcare supply chains in South Africa and improving connectivity for cities emerging as trade hubs under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
The multi-year investment will be rolled out across DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain, aiming to expand infrastructure, improve service offerings and unlock growth across key sectors such as e-commerce, perishables, energy and healthcare.
According to the latest DHL Global Connectedness Tracker, sub-Saharan Africa led all global regions in trade value growth in the first half of 2025, with a 10% year-on-year increase (in USD terms), surpassing North America (7%) and South & Central America and the Caribbean (5%).
Forecasts from September 2025 project that the region’s trade volume will grow by an average of 4.3% annually from 2025 to 2029, the second-fastest globally after South and Central Asia.
“Africa is at a pivotal point in its trade development,” said John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “Despite global uncertainties, the continent continues to demonstrate resilience and momentum. This investment reflects our belief in Africa’s potential. By enhancing our network and capabilities, we aim to empower businesses of all sizes to compete globally.”
The DHL Supply Chain division will expand its capacity and transport-focused solutions, particularly in the healthcare and transport sectors. It will also boost temperature-sensitive capabilities to support the maturing supply chains of South Africa, where demand for third-party logistics is growing rapidly.
Orkun Saruhanoglu, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Middle East & Africa, emphasised the expansion of operations in South Africa as the economy gains traction and logistics needs become more sophisticated.
“There’s rising demand for specialised, outsourced logistics especially in healthcare and transportation. By increasing capacity and applying our logistics expertise, we’ll help clients improve service quality, manage risks, and scale confidently,” Saruhanoglu said.
On the DHL Express side, the investment will be used to upgrade gateways, add aviation capacity and expand time-definite services into emerging ‘second cities’ identified as key AfCFTA demand centres. The goal is to connect these cities more directly to key trade lanes between Africa, Europe and Asia, leveraging momentum in markets like Ethiopia and Nigeria.
Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express sub-saharan Africa, said the focus is on improving proximity to customers and making cross-border trade simpler and more reliable. “As trade expands, businesses want consistent delivery performance and predictable transit times. Our goal is to meet these expectations and support African businesses in growing internationally,” Heymans said.
Meanwhile, DHL Global Forwarding is strengthening its presence in energy and industrial projects, enhancing cold chain logistics for agriculture and horticulture exports, and expanding its healthcare and life sciences capabilities.
Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa, said that clients are dealing with evolving trade dynamics and stricter regulations, so visibility and reliability are more important than ever. “We’re enhancing our forwarding solutions with local expertise and better digital tools, giving customers more control and visibility from origin to destination. The objective is simple: keep goods moving efficiently and help clients tap into emerging opportunities,” Diallo noted.
DHL is also investing in broader programmes that support sustainable and inclusive trade growth. Through its GoTrade initiative, the company provides training and customs support for SMEs to enter international markets. Additionally, it’s advancing digital solutions like AI-driven monitoring, route optimisation, and digital customs tools to streamline cross-border operations.
Reference:
- DHL