DHL Launches Operations in Zimbabwe

Leading international air, ocean, and road freight services provider, DHL Global Forwarding, has launched in Zimbabwe to extend its presence across Africa. The company will give local and regional businesses within the greater Southern African Development Community (SADC) instant access to global markets.

As a first step, DHL Global Forwarding has set up a legal entity currently employing eight graduate trainees with an office at 168 Herbert Chitepo Avenue in Harare’s CBD. The new entity comprises a full suite of innovative technology solutions and exceptional market knowledge to successfully address the challenges faced by the country’s freight forwarding and logistics industry. Its primary purpose is to infuse the sector with international standards synonymous with DHL and show the market the possibilities of conducting business in a compliant manner.

The offering also includes the DHL subsidiary, Saloodo!, a digital road freight platform connecting shippers and transport providers. The platform maps all transport processes digitally, including shipment tracking, freight document management, invoicing, and payment.

Shuvai Mugadza, Country Manager, DHL Global Forwarding Zimbabwe, said, “Zimbabwe is on the cusp of strong economic growth, and we believe our new offering is well-timed to help the country achieve this. Our deep knowledge of the SADC and other markets on the African continent will be invaluable to our clients as they prepare for global expansion. Against the backdrop of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), which aims to create the world’s largest Free Trade area by connecting 1.3 billion people across 54 countries, we are confident that with DHL Global Forwarding Zimbabwe, logistics will not let Africa down.”

DHL Global Forwarding provides the mass network to move heavy machinery by road – mostly imported from China, Germany, and India – for Zimbabwe’s mining and manufacturing sectors. The logistics provider’s air freight services will support the export of perishable goods, currently Zimbabwe’s most significant export commodity, as well as tobacco and hemp.

Mugadza continues: “The expansion of DHL’s services in Zimbabwe will also accommodate the global export of agricultural products, a season-driven sector, as well as that of gold, the country’s top mineral export. The focus on exports is constantly changing, and meeting these demands requires agile logistics partners on the ground, which is where DHL Global Forwarding can add noticeable value.”

Andrew Mutaurwa, Managing Director, Pulse Surgical Care, comments: “DHL Global Forwarding is our preferred freight and customs clearing partner because of their ability to shorten our procurement cycle. As a provider of surgical equipment and supplies, we worked closely with them during the COVID-19 pandemic when air and ocean cargo was a challenge, but together we successfully assisted the health sector with saving lives.”

DHL Global Forwarding shares SADC’s vision of a transport sector that supports vibrant industrial and social development. However, facilitating the robust integration of trade and socio-economic ties requires an efficient transport system. Zimbabwe’s central road and air network provide access to the global market through the ports of Durban and Mozambique and, together with Southern Africa’s network of roads, railways, ports, and airways are adequate to meet the current demand of most users. However, pressure on these networks’ current capacity is mounting.

According to SADC figures, traffic for landlocked countries in the region will increase to 50 million tonnes, swelling nearly three-fold to 148 million tonnes by 2040. Port traffic will expand from 92 million tonnes to 500 million tonnes by 2027. Seeking to be part of this economic growth and development, DHL Global Forwarding aims to help meet future demand by offering an integrated, multimodal logistics solution.