Leading international express and logistics company, DHL Express, considers East Africa and particularly Kenya, a key region for growth within Sub-Saharan Africa.
These were the words of Charles Brewer, Managing Director of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), who was in Nairobi last week to meet with key role players, customers and media.
“The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecasted a GDP growth of around 6.9% for Kenya in 2015 which mirrors our confidence in the country’s performance. Although the recent 2015 EY Attractiveness Survey reported that Kenya received less FDI than previous years, it shows that investors still have a firm interest in the country and have taken a medium to long term approach to investing.”
“Investment in our network capabilities still remains a core focus for DHL in Africa, with a number of fleet and facility upgrades scheduled for 2015, including upgrades to our Nairobi Gateway facility and service centre. We have also increased our retail footprint to over 150 outlets which increases accessibility to global markets.”
“We see SMEs as the engine for growth in Kenya and SSA as whole, therefore providing easy access to the global market is key for us. DHL’s own research, conducted with IHS Global Insight, has shown that SMEs who trade internationally are twice as successful as those who trade only within their own market. We are also embarking on an SSA wide SME training program to enable businesses to expand internationally – this will cover everything from basic finance principles, to marketing and logistics,” said Brewer.
Brewer points to the importance of having engaged employees in their organization. “Our people are at the very core of our business and we are only able to provide great service quality and retail loyal customers if we have motivated people. We have an award winning learning and development program called Certified International Specialist (CIS) which has been central to our staff retention and development globally. The caliber of human talent available on the African continent is extraordinary, and when managed and developed correctly, it can drive innovation, productivity and bottom-line performance.”
“As the market leader, we will continue to invest in our people, equipment and facilities to ensure that we continue to exceed the demands of our customers. As the first and largest express company in Africa, we are well-positioned to service the growth of Kenya, ensuring its viability and attractiveness on a global scale,” concludes Alan Cassels, Country Manager for Kenya.
