This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
Jumia Partners with Posta to Deliver Goods at Nearest Post Office ¶
On October 24, 2019, Jumia, Kenya's e-commerce giant, partnered with the Postal Corporation of Kenya to launch a new delivery service that allows customers to receive their goods at the nearest Post Office.
This partnership is a significant development for online shoppers across the country, as it enables them to receive their goods regardless of their geographical location at a cheaper rate.
According to Dan Kagwe, the CEO of the Postal Corporation of Kenya, the partnership will benefit shoppers the most, as the charges will be far lower than what other courier services currently charge.
"This partnership will enable customers to save more on the cost of delivery, especially as we prepare for the Jumia Black Friday," said Kagwe. "When shopping on Jumia, customers will have the option to pick up products from a Post Office closest to them. This means that during the checkout process, the products will be dispatched to the selected office for collection. We have over 600 post offices countrywide, and I wish to guarantee you quality service to keep customers coming back," he added.
Posta General Manager Courier Services Elizabeth Mwaura revealed that the deal was first launched in 2015 but was suspended to enable the two partners to strategize on how best to serve their clients.
"In 2015, e-commerce was very new in Kenya, and it was a big and new thing for everybody...so as we grew, the big growth brought in a few issues here and there and so both of us (Posta and Jumia) had to stop and rethink our strategy going forward," Mwaura explained.
She expressed optimism that the deal will go a long way in increasing Posta's profit base and creating a profitable post office.
"We look forward to creating a profitable post office. We want to pay dividends to the Treasury as opposed to going to get funding from them. So, this is a good opportunity for us," stated Mwaura.
Jumia Kenya CEO, Sam Chappatte, said the partnership had launched online shopping on a new trajectory, noting that it had solved the logistics challenge the e-commerce platform had faced for quite some time.
"There are large parts of the country that are underserved today. They lack convenient and low-cost access to pick-up stations. We continue to see increased demand from areas like Eldoret, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Nakuru and surprisingly even as far as Lokichogio in Turkana. Our expanded pick-up station network with Posta will enhance customer confidence and the adoption of e-commerce countrywide," said Chappatte.
