News / DHL GF expands its African footprint with Ethiopia Airlines JV

DHL Ethiopian Airlines Logistics Services, a joint-venture between DHL Global Forwarding (DGF) and Ethiopian Airlines, specialising in air, ocean and road services, has opened a container freight station in Ethiopia.

The 800 sqm facility is at Modjo Dry Port, close to the capital, Addis Ababa.

Its opening coincides with DGF obtaining a container freight station consolidation licence from the Ethiopian government and launching its digital road freight platform, Saloodo!, in the East African state.

“By expanding our operations we aim to offer a much-needed economic boost to Ethiopia. We are confident that the Modjo Dry Port will provide cost-effective logistics capabilities to support regional trade growth,” said Clement Blanc, CEO of DGF for Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Now, businesses of all sizes in Ethiopia can more easily trade with Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Gabon and other nations across the continent. This is an important step in the country’s economic recovery and will help it remain one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.”

The licence broadens the range of services DGF can offer in Ethiopia and can include less-than-container load (LCL) exports. This involves sharing container space among multiple shippers, providing faster freight times and decreasing the overall shipment cost. A similar service for road freight -less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments – is also available at the Modjo facility.

DGF’s digital road freight platform, Saloodo!, will support cargo movement within Ethiopia and to and from neighbouring countries Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan.

DGF said the launch of Saloodo! would “inject greater transparency and efficiency into the region’s road network by providing real-time visibility”, adding that “the platform digitises the entire transport process from enquiry to invoicing”.

Tobias Maier, CEO of Salodoo! Middle East and Africa, said: “Now, everyone, from small businesses to multinationals, can easily access trusted road freight carriers in Ethiopia, extending their reach and driving growth. It is important for us to make sure that our customers’ goods are secured. When using Saloodo!, we insist every sub-contractor puts an e-seal on every container before it’s loaded out of port to ensure the safety of all goods and containers.”

Earlier this year, a DGF spokesperson told The Loadstar the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines on the air cargo side focused on “leveraging each partner’s network to develop Addis Ababa as a logistics gateway to Africa”.

“It helps us secure sufficient air freight capacity in the region and meet the needs of our customers. The partnership also played an important role in our UbuntuConnect solution to tyransport not only PPE, medical equipment and medicines, but also general goods from China to Africa at the height of the Covid pandemic.”