SOUTH AFRICA – Digital freight forwarder Saloodo!, a subsidiary of DHL Global Forwarding, launched its digital logistics platform for shippers and transport providers in South Africa, bringing the first digital road freight solution to the region.
With South Africa as its launch pad into Sub-Saharan Africa, Saloodo! is the first digital logistics platform available in the region that offers a single interface for shippers and transport providers to optimize cost, routes, cargo and transit times.
“Digital transformation is a top priority for the industry and given the demographics, we expect demand for digital transformation to be driven by emerging markets globally,” said Tobias Maier, CEO of Saloodo! Middle East and Africa.
“Africa is the world’s youngest continent with 60% of the continent below 25. This is a dynamic generation of digitally-minded young adults, demanding smart, digital solutions both on the business and home front.”
“With real-time visibility, Saloodo! will inject greater transparency and efficiency to the road network in the region, enabling shippers – from small enterprises and start-ups to large multinational groups – to find trusted and reliable freight carriers in South Africa.
“This will in turn help carriers manage existing fleets and optimize capacity with full truckload shipments,” said Maier.
An efficient road freight network is a key conduit of trade within a geographically wide-spread country such as South Africa but also with 16 landlocked countries within Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
However, much of the region’s road freight operations remain fragmented and highly traditional, missing out on the visibility, efficiency and security that logistics technology offers.
Saloodo! combines the best of two worlds: The digital freight platform, founded by Deutsche Post DHL Group in 2016, combines the logistics expertise and infrastructure of a global player with the flexibility and digital skills of a start-up.
Saloodo! simplifies the day-to-day processes of shippers and hauliers with a powerful end-to-end, digital solution for commissioning and handling shipments. This maximizes the transparency and efficiency of the entire transport process
With a market value of R 121.1 billion (US$8.1bn) in 2018, road freight volumes in South Africa have been increasing steadily, exhibiting a growth of 5.6% in June 2019 when compared to the previous corresponding period.
Equally, intra-Africa exports already accounted for 26 per cent and 12 per cent of South Africa’s 2018 total exports and imports respectively – almost 50% of which are with neighbouring countries in this landlocked region.
