Small package delivery in Africa is necessary for many companies in this age of international business. Any industry with customers anywhere in the African continent can find themselves needing to ship products rapidly and safely. However, the delivery of small packages in Africa can be much less straightforward than similar shipping in North America or in Europe.
Shipping to Africa isn’t too hard if you know what you’re doing. The major international delivery services, like FedEx, UPS and DHL, service cities across the continent and can get your packages to their destination as fast as possible. There are also many local and regional courier services in Africa, too. These services are especially useful in deliveries to remote or rural areas.
Keep the following steps in mind for your delivery of small packets in Africa:
1. Know the international shipping rules for the country you need to send products to.
2. Compare prices from different Africa courier services to get the best rates and delivery times.
3. Make sure your delivery service can reach the required destination.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Use regional Africa courier services
Courier services in Africa are better-prepared to handle the specifics of shipping to Africa than the major international services may be. Also, regional Africa delivery companies may offer better service to some countries than the international services.
I recommend: Airfreight Africa and
NightwinG Couriers are both courier services in South Africa that offer domestic delivery and courier services as well as international delivery options. Especially for the South African region, these companies offer rapid delivery in days or even hours.
Africankiosk offers delivery of items to Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya.
Check out larger shipping services for their policies on the delivery of small packages in Africa
The major international shipping companies can provide international shipping to Africa, especially if you're delivering products to a major city. Make sure you know the details of the company's policy on the delivery of small packets in Africa for the particular country you are sending a package to.
I recommend: FedEx,
UPS and
DHL all provide forms you can use to calculate rates and delivery times around the world.
Gather information on small package delivery in Africa
Unlike shipping in North America or in Europe, there can be a lot of problems when shipping to Africa. Read up on international shipping information and specifically on shipping in the appropriate country.
I recommend: WorldTrade Magazine offers an article on general international shipping of small packages.
UPS’s Global Advisor service gives detailed information about international shipping worldwide.
DHL’s international shipping page offers a wealth of information for anyone looking to ship packages.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Services for the delivery of small packages to Africa vary widely between rural and urban regions, as well as from country to country. Many Africa package delivery services only function in the cities, and if you're sending a package to a rural area, your best bet might be to send the package via the country's postal system.
The official source of Small Package Delivery in Africa is
the Small Package Delivery in Africa page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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