DHL Group (DHL) has announced plans to invest more than €300 million in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to accelerate trade growth and strengthen logistics infrastructure across the region. The multi-year investment, unveiled on Wednesday, underscores DHL’s long-term commitment to Africa, a region the company described as “of growing strategic importance in global trade.”
According to DHL, the initiative will span its three divisions — DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, and DHL Supply Chain — with the goal of expanding infrastructure, enhancing service capabilities, and unlocking opportunities for businesses in key sectors such as e-commerce, energy, perishables, and life sciences & healthcare.
Africa’s trade potential continues to rise as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) drives regional integration and opens new corridors with global markets. The DHL Global Connectedness Tracker reports that Sub-Saharan Africa led all world regions in the first half of 2025, recording a 10% year-on-year increase in trade value, surpassing North America (7%) and South & Central America (5%). Forecasts suggest the region’s trade volume will grow by 4.3% annually between 2025 and 2029, the second-fastest globally.
“Africa is at a pivotal moment in its trade journey,” said John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “Despite global volatility, the continent continues to show resilience and momentum. Our investment reflects confidence in Africa’s trajectory and DHL’s commitment to enabling the trade flows that drive inclusive growth.”
He added that DHL aims to strengthen its network and make it easier for African businesses — from SMEs to large corporates — to compete globally.
The company revealed that DHL Express will channel part of the investment into upgrading gateways, expanding aviation capacity, and extending time-definite delivery services to more cities emerging as trade hubs under AfCFTA.
Read Also: Airbus strengthens Africa operations with new Johannesburg Customer Centre
“Our focus is to be closer to customers and make cross-border shipping simpler and more reliable,” said Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa. “By raising the bar on service and proximity, we will help more African companies trade efficiently and compete on a bigger stage.”
DHL Global Forwarding will focus on scaling its presence in key industries driving Africa’s trade growth, including energy, agriculture, horticulture, life sciences, and healthcare.
“Customers are navigating shifting trade patterns and tighter regulatory requirements, so reliability and visibility matter more than ever,” said Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa. “We are strengthening forwarding solutions with deeper local expertise and enhanced digital tools, giving clients clearer control of their shipments from origin to destination.”
Meanwhile, DHL Supply Chain will expand its capacity and introduce new transport-led logistics solutions in South Africa, with a strong focus on the life sciences and healthcare sectors.
“We are seeing growing demand for specialised, outsourced logistics,” said Orkun Saruhanoglu, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Middle East & Africa. “By adding capacity and strengthening our transport-led solutions, we will help customers improve service quality, manage risk and scale with confidence.”
Beyond infrastructure, DHL is investing in initiatives that promote inclusive and sustainable trade growth. Its GoTrade program supports SMEs with customs training to access international markets, while the company is also piloting renewable energy and digitalization projects — including AI-powered monitoring, route optimization, and digital customs tools — across its Sub-Saharan operations.
With operations spanning all African markets, DHL Group said it remains uniquely positioned to “connect the continent to the world and enable the next chapter of its growth.”
