• DHL plans to invest €300 million (about $350 million) in warehouses and logistics infrastructure across Africa.
• Africa’s e-commerce market is projected to exceed $75 billion by end-2025, according to Knight Frank.
• The warehousing market in Africa and the Middle East is expected to reach $131.7 billion by 2030, up from $83.1 billion currently.

DHL is preparing a €300 million ($350 million) investment plan to expand its logistics infrastructure across Africa, as e-commerce growth and trade flows intensify pressure on supply chains across the continent.

DHL Group CEO John Pearson told Bloomberg that the company aims to strengthen its network capacity to meet rising demand in a fast-growing market. Pearson noted that the continent's trade value has risen by 10% even with the trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, and projected that Africa could emerge as the second-largest region globally in terms of trade value within four years.

The initiative will span DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, and DHL Supply Chain divisions, targeting improvements in warehousing, freight forwarding, and last-mile delivery. The plan seeks to reinforce service capacity in strategic sectors such as e-commerce, perishable goods, and energy logistics.

Africa’s e-commerce industry has expanded sharply since the Covid-19 pandemic, creating unprecedented pressure on existing logistics networks. According to Knight Frank’s Africa Industrial Market Dashboard – H1 2025, the continent’s e-commerce market could exceed $75 billion by the end of 2025.

This surge has highlighted the need for modern storage facilities, advanced logistics equipment, and efficient last-mile delivery systems to support growing digital trade.

The World Bank’s recent report, Transport Connectivity for Food Security in Africa: Strengthening Supply Chains, projects that the warehousing market across Africa and the Middle East will reach $131.7 billion by 2030, up from $83.1 billion today.

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum