Johannesburg - DHL Express, a unit of mail and logistics provider Deutsche Post AG, will invest more than 30.5 million euros (R418 million) in its South African operations to boost expansion across the continent.
The company plans “to focus on further expansion of logistics services in the world’s emerging markets,” Roger Crook, head of DHL global forwarding and freight, said today in an e-mailed statement.
The Bonn-based postal operator sees sales from developing markets contributing 30 percent of the total by 2020, compared with about 20 percent now.
Companies including Citigroup, Prudential and NM Rothschild & Sons are expanding in Africa as the economies of many countries on the continent grow faster than developed nations.
DHL customers can already send letters and parcels from about 2,400 outlets in Africa, up from 300 three years ago, and the company is targeting 3,000 to 3,500 access points by the end of the year, according to a May interview with Sumesh Rahavendra, DHL’s head of marketing for sub-Saharan Africa.
DHL is investing in its supply chain and transportation units in South Africa, which are situated near OR Tambo, Johannesburg’s biggest airport, according to the statement. - Bloomberg News