John Pearson, CEO, DHL Express
John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express, shares his insights on the company’s remarkable growth and success in Africa, where DHL has been a pioneer in express logistics for over 47 years. As the leader of the EXPRESS division, John discusses the strategies that have driven DHL’s success, including its customer-centric approach, investments in its African network, and commitment to environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
With a focus on innovation, digitalization, and employee motivation, John provides a unique perspective on the future of logistics in Africa and DHL’s role in shaping the continent’s economic growth. He highlights the company’s efforts to enhance customer experience, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and promote sustainability in the region.
Through his leadership, John has helped DHL Express become a trusted partner for businesses and individuals across Africa, and his vision for the company’s future is one of continued growth, innovation, and commitment to excellence.
What strategies have been most effective in driving growth in Africa?
DHL was the first express delivery operator to set up in Africa, back in 1978 – opening in its first office in South Africa that year, consequently followed by Nigeria in 1978 – and fast forward 47 years, we operate in every country and territory across the continent. We are also the only operator with a dedicated air network on the continent.
Since then, the approach has remained the same. Our success has always been based around delivering excellent service for our customers. Never complacent, DHL has become a brand acknowledged for personal commitment, proactive solutions and local strength.
How will you build on these successes?
At the heart of our success are our employees who focus on the customer’s needs and provide individually customised solutions. Having an insanely customer centric culture ensures that we are constantly looking for ways to delight our customers. Our ‘First Choice’ program is focused on continuous service and process improvement, aiming to drive customer centricity and simplify customer lives – because we believe a delighted customer is a loyal customer.
As the market leader in express logistics, we will continue to invest in our people, equipment and facilities to ensure that we continue to exceed the demands of our customers on the continent.
How has your leadership approach evolved over the past few years?
I am committed to ensuring that our Motivated People remain central to what we do and that DHL Express continues to be recognized as a World’s Best Workplace, because our people are the biggest competitive advantage we have. In addition, providing service excellence to our customers globally and in this instance, in Africa, is key.
I don’t think that has changed since I took on the role of global CEO at DHL Express, although the challenges and uncertainty of the last few years have shown the need to be even more flexible and adaptable to change.
What impact has this had on DHL Express’s operations in Africa?
DHL Express is a network business, with operations in about 220 countries and territories worldwide, so our success depends on everyone in our business being able to translate our global standards into what our customers in every market need locally. For Sub-Saharan Africa, this means that we prioritize investments in our people, who know their markets best and deliver our customer promise of “Excellence, Simply Delivered” every day, and to ensure we are a great place to work, not for some, but for all.
Africa’s diverse markets present complex challenges. What lessons have you learned navigating these complexities,
Firstly, I believe it’s important to assume a glass-half-full perspective for the region, one that focuses first on opportunity, and then on the risks that need to be managed. While there are many complexities, the teams across Africa are extremely resilient and have a deep understanding of their local markets and know how best to support and drive growth.
The region is diverse, and a ‘one size fits all’ approach simply doesn’t work. Each country has its own intricacies – whether it be operational, regulatory, or even cultural – and all these factors need to be considered. Again, I come back to the power of having incredible teams in each market – this gives us the ability to ‘Think Global, and Act Local’.
What DHL initiatives have been most successful in enhancing customer experience, and what’s next?
Our initiatives to improve customer experience include expanding our service offerings and optimizing transit times through our investments in our African network. We have upgraded our West Africa aircraft fleet as well as invested heavily in best-in-class facilities to ensure we deliver excellent service quality to our customers. We’ve also invested in strategic delivery options to improve customer experience – for example, we make use of boats in Lagos to transport shipments from the mainland to Victoria Island – which helps to beat the congestion on the mainland bridge, enabling us to deliver shipments faster.
We are enhancing our digital platforms to give our customers more control and visibility over their orders. With the growth of e-commerce, this has the dual benefit of maximizing convenience for consumers, while also allowing us to be more efficient in our operations and customer service. We also have a well-established retail footprint across the region, which makes shipping convenient and accessible for all.
With the level of growth experienced in Africa’s e-commerce market, how has DHL Express capitalized on this trend?
E-commerce continues to be one of the key growth drivers and focus areas for DHL and Africa is no exception. The region is seeing huge growth in this area, supported by the broad coverage and adoption of mobile communications and payment gateways like M-Pesa, Paypal, for example, and initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is creating an African trade gateway for SMEs through digital platforms and trade finance facilities. ‘Brand Africa’ is something that has increased exponentially in popularity in recent years which provides great opportunity for businesses on the continent. We work with SMEs to demystify international trade and help connect them to global opportunities.
DHL Express has capitalized on Africa’s e-commerce growth by investing in our people, network, digital shipping tools and interfaces and payment options, as well as partnerships with major e-commerce platforms in the region.
SMEs remain critical to Africa’s economic growth. How has DHL Express supported these businesses?
DHL continues to see SMEs as the engine for growth, and we work closely with thousands of SMEs to capitalize on global trade. We provide training and support on how to access international markets and to navigate the various aspects of trade, from customs clearance to foreign currency considerations and shipping strategies. Even if the customer is a small business just starting out, we have tailored solutions that assists SMEs to grow their reach to international and cross-border markets. We also have a program called GoTrade which aims to support cross-border trade and business growth through capacity building of SMEs and trade advocacy, directly contributing towards sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
We also know that growth and opportunities are not isolated to the capitals and megacities in Africa. Populations across major cities are growing at unprecedented rates and the multitude of smaller cities are poised to play a critical role in the unfolding demographic shift. In partnership with the GIBS Centre for African Management and Markets (CAMM), DHL Express embarked on a research paper to understand the complexities of and opportunities that lie in these urban centres across Sub-Saharan Africa – highlighting the unique potential for Africa’s second cities to take advantage of the so-called demographic dividend and generate prosperity for the continent.
What’s your plan to continue enabling their success?
We will continue to offer resources that help these businesses scale and access international markets and have a clear focus on international express delivery, which means that we will continue to invest in providing the capacity and great service quality that our customers in Africa need to grow internationally.
How has DHL Express leveraged innovation and digitalization to drive growth and improve customer experience in Africa?
DHL Express has leveraged innovation and digitalization to drive growth and enhance customer experience in Africa through several key initiatives. For example, developing and enhancing digital platforms like the MyDHL+ portal, which allows customers to manage shipments online, track packages in real-time, and access a range of services conveniently. This has simplified the shipping process and improved customer engagement.
The introduction of mobile applications has also enabled customers to book shipments, track deliveries, and access customer support directly from their smartphones, making logistics more accessible.
Additionally, we have focused on upskilling our workforce to adapt to new technologies, ensuring that employees are equipped to deliver enhanced customer service and support.
Finally, the use of data analytics has allowed us to gain insights into customer preferences and operational efficiencies, helping to tailor services and improve responsiveness to customer needs.
These initiatives have collectively contributed to DHL Express’s growth in Africa, enhancing customer satisfaction and positioning the company as a leader in the logistics sector on the continent.
What digital solutions have been most effective in enhancing logistics efficiency and reducing costs in Africa?
DHL Express has leveraged digital tools like automated tracking systems and data analytics to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. Notable examples of digitalization include the increased automation that we have introduced at many of our operational facilities and the tools we use to optimize our transport and delivery routings and to ensure real-time tracking. This contributes to higher levels of service reliability, frees up capacity to support our customers’ growth and gives them better control of their inventory.
What progress has DHL made in reducing environmental impact in Africa?
As a global pioneer in environmentally friendly transport, we will continue invest in green technologies and practices, including the deployment of electric and alternative fuel vehicles where these are commercially and operationally available and have the infrastructure to support it, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and insetting through our GoGreen Plus products, and energy-efficient facilities, as well as through ongoing efforts to make our operations more efficient through maximizing our use of capacity and optimizing our routings. We see huge potential to differentiate our offering for customers throughout Africa in this area, as demand for greener services continues to grow.
What initiatives are planned for the future?
To further showcase our commitment to the importance of sustainability in the region, we recently co-sponsored ‘The Climate Change Global Business Summit on Africa’ which was held in Kenya in March 2025, where we released a research paper on Sustainable Infrastructure & Innovation: Building Africa’s Green Economy. Further driving the conversation and interest in public and private partnerships in this sector and making sure it remains top of mind for businesses across the region.
What commitments will DHL make in the next few years?
Our organizational purpose is Connecting People and Improving Lives and we have a number of programs that help deliver on that.. We have a wide range of engagements throughout the region through our GoTeach program, where we partner for example with SOS Children’s Villages to provide mentoring and future employment support to youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, and our GoHelp program, where we partner with UNDP to provide logistics support to airports impacted by natural disasters. Our commitments for the next few years include enhancing these local partnerships and increasing sustainability training, as well as supporting local volunteering initiatives from our employees through funding via our DHL’s Got Heart program.
How will DHL continue to promote Environmental sustainability and social responsibility in Africa’s logistics sector?
Environmental sustainability and social responsibility are at the heart of our strategy and our corporate culture, and recently, was added as fourth bottom line for our Group Strategy: Strategy 2030 which includes being a Provider of Choice, and Employer of Choice, an Investment of Choice, and Green Logistics of Choice. We will continue to promote them within the African region through our extensive and active responsibility agenda, from our GoTeach, GoGreen, GoHelp and GoTrade programs to our local volunteering initiatives, and our investments ahead of the curve in environmentally friendly technology, transportation and fuels. We will also continue to encourage our partners to adopt similar practices through our procurement processes.
How has DHL Express engaged with African governments, businesses, and organizations to drive growth and support sustainable development?
Through our GoTrade program, we have initiated cooperation with a number of government authorities and NGOs to promote digital customs and trade processes and e-commerce in Africa. Through GoTrade, we have also established collaborations with local businesses, governments, and trade associations and forums throughout the region to enhance trade development. We are a firm believer in the power of public and private partnerships for inclusive, sustainable growth
What role will collaborations and joint ventures play in DHL Express’s future growth strategy in Africa?
We will continue to seek out partnerships that help us to promote trade both within and to/from the region. Additionally, we see significant opportunities to expand on our existing partnerships in the areas of social responsibility as Africa continues on its development journey, in order both to strengthen its resilience but also in realizing the tremendous potential of social and entrepreneurial potential of the people who live in the region.