By Aduragbemi Omiyale
To achieve its logistics services expansion goal in Africa, UPS has partnered with Jumia, giving it access to the e-commerce giant’s infrastructure on the continent.
Jumia delved into the last-mile business after conquering the online shopping landscape in Africa and because of the success it is already recording, UPS felt it was necessary to join forces with the organisation to achieve its expansion goal.
With the delivery services growing on the continent, UPS will leverage the Jumia infrastructure to offer its customers an extended range of delivery solutions, including door-to-door package delivery and collection, with a variety of payment options.
This partnership will also allow UPS to leverage the extensive network of Jumia drop-off and pick-up stations to expand the UPS reach and coverage across more towns and cities in Africa.
The collaboration will initially cover Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria, with plans for expansion to Ghana and Ivory Coast, and thereafter to the remaining African countries where Jumia operates.
“At the beginning of our journey, 10 years ago, logistics infrastructure was one of the most challenging aspects of our operating environment.
“This challenge was a catalyst for us to build an unparalleled logistics platform in Africa offering our sellers and consumers reliable, convenient and cost-effective delivery services.
“Today, we are helping other businesses overcome these infrastructure challenges by giving them access to our logistics platform. We are delighted and humbled by the opportunity to partner up with UPS, a global logistics leader, to offer them last mile solutions in Africa.
“We view this as a validation of the strength of our logistics platform as well as an incentive to double down on our efforts to further enhance our services and build a world-class logistics business in Africa,” said Apoorva Kumar, Senior Vice President, Logistics, Jumia.
“This partnership will help small and medium-sized businesses in Africa that make up 90 per cent of all businesses on the continent and are the backbone of the economy.
“UPS’s asset-light approach, like the Jumia partnership, offers a pathway for businesses to quickly and reliably connect to new customers around the world through our global network, potentially accelerating their revenue growth,” said Gregory Goba Ble, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa, UPS.
