Alibaba’s Cainiao expands parcel service in Africa as demand for Chinese goods surges
The logistics arm of Alibaba is rolling out its small-parcel service in more parts of Africa to tap growing demand for made-in-China goods
Alibaba Group Holding’s logistics arm, Cainiao, has expanded its parcel delivery service to eight African countries – including Morocco, Ghana and Nigeria – as it races to give Chinese e-commerce merchants a cheaper, more reliable way to reach the fast-growing continent.
The company planned to extend the service to South Africa and Egypt by the end of December, Cainiao said in a statement over the weekend. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
Cainiao said underdeveloped logistics infrastructure remained a bottleneck for trade growth even as Africa’s demand for made-in-China goods surged.
The company said it planned to leverage its network and technology to ensure “certainty and reliability” in small-parcel delivery tailored to local conditions.