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DHL Express has acquired a stake in the UK-based e-commerce firm Link Commerce, which helped the logistics company develop its hugely successful DHL Africa eShop platform

Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express sub-Saharan Africa, said that the acquisition demonstrates the company’s commitment to growing e-commerce on the continent. “Acquiring a stake in Link Commerce – the company behind the MallforAfrica.com platform – shows our tremendous support of e-commerce in Africa. It also positions us to realise our ambitions of growing the eShop offering globally, and work on the scalability of the platform when the opportunity arises.”

E-commerce is proving to be one of Africa's most significant and fast-growing market sectors. A report published by Rapid B2C predicts that the online retail market in Africa will reach an 11-digit dollar value in 2020, while another McKinsey Global Institute report estimates that this value could potentially reach US$75bn by 2025.

Chris Folayan founder and CEO of Link Commerce and Mall for Africa, said, “DHL’s investment in Link Commerce is a perfect fit. With the DHL investment we are now able to grow faster by leveraging the amazing shipping network DHL has built globally. This will help us expand our white-label turnkey B2B eCommerce platform and provide online shoppers with the ability to shop more and get more at great shipping rates fast.”

Heymans noted that the DHL Africa eShop has consistently outperformed expectations since its launch. “The platform was developed in partnership with Link Commerce and initially launched in 11 African countries in April 2019. It was an immediate success, gaining around 5,000 subscribers within the first six weeks. Today, DHL Africa eShop is live in 34 countries across sub-Saharan Africa with tens of thousands of users across the continent.”

The DHL Africa eShop offers African consumers access to international retailers via an easy-to-use platform, with great convenience, speed and reliability. “DHL Africa eShop enables African customers to shop directly from over 200 US- and UK-based online retailers, with purchases delivered directly to their door, by DHL Express.”

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