Jumia, the African e-commerce leader, has announced a partnership with UPS, which will give UPS access to its last-mile logistics capabilities and infrastructure in order to expand its delivery services in Africa.
UPS will provide its clients an expanded choice of delivery solutions, including door-to-door package delivery and collection, with a variety of payment options, by leveraging the Jumia infrastructure in Africa.
UPS will be able to use the enormous network of Jumia drop-off and pick-up stations to increase its reach and coverage throughout additional African towns and cities as a result of this agreement.
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.“ said Apoorva Kumar, Senior Vice President of Logistics, Jumia.
“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 the 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,” he added.
Commenting on the partnership, Gregory Goba Ble, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for the Indian subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa, UPS said the partnership will help small and medium-sized businesses in Africa that make up 90 percent 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,” he said.
