This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
On April 21, 2020, DHL launched a digital freight platform for road transporters in Kenya, marking a significant milestone in the country's digitalization efforts.
The platform, Saloodo!, is a subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL Global Forwarding and provides real-time visibility, transparency, and efficiency to the road network in the region.
Saloodo! enables shippers to find trusted and reliable freight carriers, while carriers can manage their existing fleets and optimize capacity with full truckload shipments.
The platform was first launched in Germany in 2017 and has since grown to cover 35 countries, with over 30,000 shippers and 12,000 carriers registered.
According to Tobias Maier, CEO of Saloodo! Middle East and Africa, the platform will offer a single, simple, and reliable interface for shippers and carriers to optimize costs, routes, cargo, and transit times in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda, and South Sudan.
"As it stands, Kenya, especially Nairobi, is an important driver of digitalization in the greater continental region," said Maier. "With the current global economic outlook, it is imperative that the push for digitalization accelerates so that we can continue to enable trade and help businesses to grow."
Saloodo! also provides cargo insurance through its global cover for extra protection and all contractual relationships are organized via the existing local DHL entity.
Ivin George, DHL Managing Director for East Africa, said the platform will play a key role in complementing DHL's portfolio of forwarding and logistics services in Kenya and Eastern Africa.
