The DHL Group (“DHL”) announced a €300+ million planned investment in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
The investment will go towards DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain, to expand infrastructure, enhance service capabilities and unlock opportunities for businesses across sectors, including e-commerce, perishables, energy, and life sciences & healthcare.
According to the latest update of the DHL Global Connectedness Tracker, Sub-Saharan Africa led all world regions in the first half of 2025 with a 10% year on year increase in trade value (in current US dollars), ahead of North America at 7% and South & Central America, Caribbean at 5%.
In addition, forecasts point to an increase in the region’s trade volume by at least 4.3% per year in 2025 into 2029.
John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, said “Africa is at a pivotal moment in its trade journey. 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. By strengthening our network and capabilities, we aim to make it easier for African businesses, from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to large corporates, to compete on the world stage.”
DHL Global Forwarding will focus its investment on strengthening key industry solutions that are driving Africa’s trade growth, such as energy and industrial projects, supporting Africa’s role in the global energy transition; enhancing cold-chain and perishables logistics for agriculture and horticulture exporters; and scaling its expertise in life sciences and healthcare with specialized temperature-controlled transport.
Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa (EMEA), said “customers are navigating shifting trade patterns and tighter regulatory requirements, so reliability and visibility matter more than ever. We are strengthening forwarding solutions with deeper local expertise and enhanced digital tools, giving clients clearer control of their shipments from origin to destination. The goal is straightforward: keep goods moving predictably and help customers capture growth where demand is emerging.”
DHL Supply Chain will add capacity and transport-led solutions with a clear focus on the transporter sector and life sciences & healthcare, including additional temperature-sensitive capability to support critical healthcare flows and fast-moving fulfilment as supply chains mature, particularly as demand for third party logistics services continues to grow in the core South African market.