Kobo360 to spread wings to Accra, Nairobi

Mar 26, 2019: The African technology logistics platform Kobo360 has announced that it will expand operations into Accra, Ghana on April 4 and Nairobi, Kenya by May 2019. The startup has officially launched in Lome, Togo - home to West Africa's largest shipping port in March, where the company announced its affiliation with the ministry and office of postal affairs and the digital economy, as well as the Mediterranean Shipping Company.

Backed by international and African investors, including International Finance Corporation [IFC], Y Combinator and TLcom, the move comes as Kobo360 seeks to build a global logistic operating system [G-LOS] that will power trade and commerce across Africa and emerging markets. Positioned as a key trading and transport hubs on the African continent, the new territories have seen almost double-digit growth with Togo (12%), Kenya (10%) and Ghana (7.9%), and the company is now strategically positioned to grow with them.

The company is currently rolling out a beta operation in Ghana, recording over 100 trips and collaborating with clients such as Olam Ghana, and expects to test the Kenyan market further, in the coming weeks. Here, the team will meet with drivers and equip them with the tools they need to run trips effectively, while also imbuing the culture and brand affinity with the supply chain. In Nigeria, Kobo360 has stood at the forefront of logistics, covering over 80 percent of the country and recording a 40 percent cost reduction in the supply chain. The company now plans to aggressively extend to other key markets and expects to be in nine African countries before the end of 2019.

Speaking from the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, co-founder and CTO of Kobo360, Ife Oyedele, said, "We estimate that Africa needs 10X the number of trucks to meet short-term commercial transport needs since rail continue to underperform. Time, cost and quality are key drivers of success in logistics which is why we, at Kobo360, are building a global logistics operating system [G-LOS] that will ensure fast movement of goods at a lower cost for businesses across Africa.

"Kenya is the hub of East Africa, it is the most innovative market in technology and if we win here, we have won across the region. From here, we will expand to Uganda and Tanzania. By adding Ghana to our West African territories of Togo and Nigeria, we will link all the market to a global logistics system and this will help us to serve our customers across the African market."

To date, the company has partnered with global logistics brands including Dangote Group, DHL, Unilever and Lafarge, and has serviced over 1,450 businesses and aggregated a fleet of over 10,000 drivers and trucks. Launched in 2016, with a vision to revolutionise the logistics value chain in Africa, currently estimated at $150 billion, Kobo360 has also been nominated as 'Disrupter of the Year' finalists at the Africa CEO Forum Awards - a recognition given to the CEO of a young African company within the budding tech sector on the continent.

"Location is a critical factor in global logistics, and each African country we've chosen to expand into has its own value proposition. These markets are among the fastest growing economies and we want to grow with them by supporting the thousands of freight companies who require a safe, reliable and cost-effective delivery of their goods to cargo recipients across the continent," stated Oyedele.

Kobo360 efficiently connects end-to-end haulage operations to help cargo owners, truck owners, and drivers, and cargo recipients to achieve an efficient supply chain framework. In less than six hours, Kobo360 matches a user's request with a selection of quality trucks of all categories, anytime with service delivery guaranteed - no telephones, opaque pricing or expensive middlemen needed. Led by Kagure Wanmuyu, COO East Africa and Bilal Abdullah, COO West Africa, the team is also recruiting for top talent to join its new teams on the ground.