A new worldwide network of freight forwarders, the Africa Logistics Network (ALN), is the first of its kind dedicated to Africa.
The idea of freight forwarder networks is nothing new, with the first of these developed at the end of the last century. They were crucial in building the base for the rapid development of logistics in Asia, particularly in China. Every network is a community of freight forwarders, with a specific number of shipping companies that can join the network for each country. Companies joining a network are immediately put in touch with many other companies in every country of the World, allowing them to manage shipments in an effective way. Africa Logistics Network (ALN) is the first network with the aim to cover the entire African continent, by selecting members in every country on the continent.“We bet on Africa,” says Alessandro Saponaro, Chairman of Africa Logistics Network. “The billion people living in Africa are rapidly developing their economies and there’s a growing middle class. Despite the challenges, ALN wants to become an instrument that favours the best small and medium-sized freight forwarders in Africa. A few multinational companies are already in Africa, but what we need is a network that can select and certify the quality of small and medium enterprises,” he says.
ALN will be open to two freight forwarders from each country, with the exception of North America, China, India, Australia, Canada and Nigeria, which can have up to five forwarders since they cover larger territories. Currently, the network comprises 31 registered companies from African countries, including those from Angola, Tanzania, Kenya, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon and Chad among others. There are also companies from the US, UAE, Jordan, China, Hong Kong and Europe in the network. A meeting of the network is set to take place annually, with the first one taking place in Bergamo, Italy from Thursday, 1 October to Sunday, 4 October. The meeting will include a conference with high-profile speakers representing various institutions, other networks and maritime companies. There will also be an opportunity for one-on-one meetings.
