DHL to spend more than €300m for trade growth across Sub-Saharan Africa
DHL Group (“DHL”) (www.DHL.com) has announced plans to invest more than €300 million for trade growth across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), underscoring its continued confidence in the region’s growing importance to global trade. The multi-year programme will span DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, and DHL Supply Chain, focusing on expanding infrastructure, improving logistics capacity, and creating new opportunities in sectors such as e-commerce, energy, perishables, and life sciences & healthcare.
Africa’s trade potential continues to rise as regional economic integration accelerates. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is opening pathways for deeper intra-African commerce and stronger connections with global markets. Although further improvements in infrastructure and trade facilitation are needed, cross-border trade has remained steady, with African businesses increasingly integrated into international value chains.
Findings from the latest DHL Global Connectedness Tracker show that Sub-Saharan Africa led all global regions in trade value growth during the first half of 2025, recording a 10% year-on-year increase in current US dollars. This surpassed North America’s 7% and the 5% growth seen across South & Central America and the Caribbean. Forecasts as of September 2025 suggest that SSA’s trade volume will expand by an average of 4.3% annually between 2025 and 2029—ranking second globally behind South & Central Asia.
“Africa stands at a defining point in its trade journey,” said John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “Despite global uncertainty, the continent continues to show strength and momentum. Our investment demonstrates DHL’s belief in Africa’s long-term growth and our mission to empower trade flows that promote inclusive development. By reinforcing our network and services, we aim to help African enterprises of all sizes compete globally.”
Within DHL Express, the investment will focus on upgrading gateways, expanding aviation capacity, and extending time-definite delivery to emerging secondary cities shaped by AfCFTA-driven trade growth. As the only logistics integrator with its own dedicated air network in Sub-Saharan Africa, DHL Express plans to strengthen connectivity between African cities and major trade routes to Europe and Asia, building on its growing presence in markets such as Ethiopia and Nigeria.
“Our strategy is to bring services closer to our customers and make international shipping more seamless,” said Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa. “Businesses are demanding reliability, speed, and locally relevant support. By improving service quality and proximity, we’re enabling African companies to trade more efficiently and scale globally.”
DHL Global Forwarding will channel its share of the investment toward enhancing solutions in key growth industries. The division is expanding its capabilities in energy and industrial projects to support Africa’s contribution to the global energy transition, developing stronger cold-chain logistics for agricultural and horticultural exports, and deepening expertise in life sciences and healthcare through advanced temperature-controlled transport. These initiatives will strengthen DHL’s freight forwarding network and leverage its customs knowledge along key African trade corridors linking the continent to Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
“Clients are navigating shifting trade routes and more complex regulations, so reliability and transparency are essential,” said Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa. “We’re enhancing our forwarding solutions with local expertise and digital tools that give customers full shipment visibility from origin to destination, ensuring goods move predictably and efficiently.”
For DHL Supply Chain, the focus will be on expanding warehousing and transport-led logistics, especially within the life sciences & healthcare and transporter sectors. This includes adding temperature-controlled infrastructure to support critical healthcare delivery and high-speed fulfilment in the growing South African market, where demand for third-party logistics continues to rise.
According to Orkun Saruhanoglu, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Middle East & Africa, “As South Africa’s economy grows and supply chains evolve, we’re seeing increasing demand for specialized logistics solutions. By scaling our capacity and leveraging our contract logistics expertise, we’ll help customers enhance reliability, manage risks, and achieve sustainable growth.”
Beyond logistics expansion, DHL is investing in initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable trade. Through its GoTrade programme, the company provides small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with training and customs knowledge to help them access international markets. DHL is also piloting renewable energy projects, alternative fuels, and AI-powered digitalization tools such as route optimization and customs automation to streamline cross-border trade and reduce environmental impact.
With operations covering every African market, DHL Group remains uniquely positioned to link the continent more effectively with the global economy and drive the next wave of Africa’s trade-driven growth.
