Money follows money. In the case of Africa, last year was a banner year in attracting capital. Total investment hit $28 billion, which is a 136% increase from 2013.
Seeing this trend, global logistics provider DHL has announced it plans to invest millions in the continent. The company is already carrying out numerous major projects including upgrades to facilities and shipment handling systems in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, DRC, Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
"DHL Express continues to invest significantly in SSA in order to 'Lift The Platform', to expand our capabilities and cater for continued growth across all markets, with planned investment of millions of Euros across SSA in 2015,” says DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) managing director Charles Brewer. “Later this year, we will begin planned upgrades in Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Benin, Cameroon, Guinea Republic, Gabon, Tanzania, Mauritius and Cote D'Ivoire."
Believing Africa has untapped opportunities and will be an economic powerhouse in the future, Brewster said that the company is “committed to not only connecting others to Africa, one of the world's largest frontiers for growth, but to making the rest of the world the next frontier for Africa," adds Brewer.
Brewer also pointed out that underdeveloped infrastructure in the continent drives up logistics costs, and according to DHL’s estimates, supply chain costs are up to nine times more expensive in Africa in comparison to other regions of the world. According to the African Review this is the reason he cited for the company’s planned investment in sub-Saharan Africa.
