Jumia and UPS a Global logistics and package delivery company announced a partnership giving UPS access to Jumia’s last-mile logistics capabilities and infrastructure to grow its delivery services in Africa.
Leveraging the Jumia infrastructure in Africa, UPS will offer its customers an extended range of delivery solutions, including door-to-door package delivery and collection, with a variety of payment options.
This partnership will also allow UPS to leverage the extensive network of Jumia drop-off and pick-up stations to expand the UPS reach and coverage across more towns and cities in Africa.
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.
Jumia started creating its logistics company seven years ago, owing to the fragmented nature of the logistics industry and as a strategy to expand the number of orders placed on its e-commerce marketplace outside of cities, by allowing clients in rural areas to place orders. After solely reserving it for e-commerce and food vendors operating on its platform, Jumia expanded its logistics marketplace to third parties in 2020.
“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. 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,” said Apoorva Kumar, Senior Vice President of Logistics, Jumia.
“This 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 connect to new customers quickly and reliably around the world through our global network, potentially accelerating their revenue growth,” said Gregory Goba Ble, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa, UPS.
