DHL Group is planning to invest around €500 million (approximately $575 million) into healthcare infrastructure across Africa and the Middle East over the next five years. The logistics company’s move is intended to capture rising demand in the regions, partly spurred by China’s growing involvement, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Annette Naude, who heads healthcare for DHL in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), noted that Africa holds strong growth potential, especially in handling high-value, time-critical shipments such as vaccines, stem cells, and cryogenic materials.
“We see America has come in and cut costs, but we do see other countries coming to the forefront and filling those gaps,” Naude said. “I went to China and met with several investors who are going to make investments on the African continent. Chinese investment in the region is really big.”
Africa’s population continues to grow faster than any other continent, and with it, demand for pharmaceuticals is surging. According to Grand View Research, the continent’s pharmaceutical market is expected to generate $33.8 billion in revenue by 2030.
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The €500 million plan represents about a quarter of DHL’s broader €2 billion global investment in healthcare logistics. The company already runs regional operations supporting warehousing, packaging, and supply chain management, with strategic hubs located in South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia.
A critical part of DHL’s healthcare strategy is ensuring secure and traceable delivery of medical products. “We’ve built specialized warehouses that support ultra-cold shipments and allow for product serialization,” Naude explained. “When a doctor issues medicine at the bedside of a patient, he has to trust and rely on the network that medicine has been transported through.”
Beyond long-standing health challenges like malaria, new healthcare needs are emerging across Africa. Naude pointed to rising demand for advanced insulin therapies from China, which are easier to use and require fewer injections, an appealing feature for many governments across the continent.
She also mentioned a recent collaboration between China and DHL to establish a medical device facility in Kenya. That facility now exports equipment to both the Middle East and European markets, further highlighting Africa’s increasing importance in global health supply chains.
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