Restricted movement across countries
Currently, in an effort to contain the spread of Covid-19, some African national borders are completely closed. In addition, air as well as maritime traffic is severely restricted. The logistics sector has taken a huge hit and some actors in this sector may never recover. The situation is even more difficult for land-locked countries or countries with relatively small ports, Like Benin where our partner product Tambour is made. For those interested in more details on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Maritime and Logistics Sector please see this World Bank Document.
Our efforts
A bit of background: We are shipping goods from mainly three different parts of Africa: West-Africa (Benin & Ghana), East-Africa (Kenya) and Southern Africa (South Africa). Each of these regions are facing their own challenges. We have tried, where we can, to tap into the insights of our African partners to find home-grown logistical solutions. It has in part worked and in others we are utterly stuck. The most interesting part is with our shipment from West-Africa.