DHL Debuts Africa eShop App

To help merchants sells products to markets in Africa, DHL is rolling out its DHL Africa eShop app. The service is said to bring over 200 U.K. and U.S. retailers online in markets across Africa, according to reports.

The platform is in markets such as Kenya, South Africa and Malawi, while local FinTech options like M-Pesa and Paga will be included in the service’s payment methods. The platform will also use the Link Commerce white-label offering from Mall for Africa, which will help with payments, delivery and procurement.

The Link Commerce service will facilitate local payments, procurement and delivery. As Mall for Africa CEO Chris Folayan said, according to reports, “That’s what our service does. It takes care of that whole ecosystem to enable global eCommerce to exist, no matter what country you’re in.”

It was also reported that DHL has been a logistics partner of Mall for Africa since 2015. Last year, the companies worked together to roll out MarketPlaceAfrica.com, an online shopping website that enables certain artisans to sell goods in DHL’s 220 delivery countries.

The news comes as Jumia, a pan-African eCommerce company, filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in mid-March on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

At the time, it was reported that the timeline and share price hadn’t been determined yet. However, if it all works out, it is said the company will become the first African tech startup to list on a major world exchange.

Jumia, which was started in 2012, also became the first African unicorn startup in 2016 following a $326 funding round that encompassed AXA, Goldman Sachs and MTN. But for now, the company will focus on growing its reach and expanding its business strategy. CEO Sacha Poignonnec said, according to reports, “We’re really focused on growing our existing business, leadership position, number of sellers and consumer adoption in those markets.”