We remain positive about Ghana — DHL boss
The Chief Executive Officer of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, Mr Hennie Heymans, has stressed the need for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana and the rest of Africa to grow beyond their borders as a sustainable way of expanding the productivity of their various economies.
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He said for SMEs to grow and add significantly to total productivity (GDP), they had to grow beyond their borders, and added, that was important in positioning Africa in its rightful place in the world.
“It is time for Africa to thrive, not just that ‘it’s time for Africa’. We can do that if we get the SMEs to start trading beyond borders. That will be what provides the economic thrust behind this continent to get the double-digit growth figures and get our economy in its rightful place in the world,” Mr Heymans told a section of journalists in Accra during an interaction with them as part of a working visit to the country.
He also met and interacted with key stakeholders and customers as he donned a courier shirt and went out on distribution with one of the DHL couriers, an experience he described as “fantastic”.
To assist SMEs to actualise their potential by looking into the export market, DHL has structured an entrepreneurial training programme for SMEs to assist them to demystify their aversion to the export (cross border) market.
Dubbed “Growing Beyond Borders” the training will be available to SMEs in Ghana free of charge before the end of the year and Mr Heymans believes the update in Ghana would be high.
Recent studies have shown that SMEs which grew beyond borders were multiple times more successful than competitors. In Mexico, the study puts the figure at 29 per cent more successful than peers that remain with the status quo.
The training will cover all aspects of the business, including financials, marketing and operations. Specific areas will include keeping proper records, requirements for exports, including details such as paperwork and letters of credit, as well as some of the avenues from marketing and sales perspectives.
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Confidence in Ghana
Mr Heymans, supported by Messrs Randy Buday, Regional Director, West and Central Africa, and Kader Coulibaly, Ghana Country Manager, reposed confidence in Ghana’s economy for the present and future, saying they were inspired by the country’s recent measures to diversify the economy over the last couple of years.
An Ecobank report has also listed Ghana among the five hotspots of investment in Africa, which DHL says is already translating into an increasing influx of goods and services into the country.
“There are quite a few good macroeconomic indicators that are giving us this sense of positivity. Our own business has been doing extremely well. Kader and his team have achieved a lot and continue to do so which gives the company a lot of confidence in the Ghana market,” he stated.
Employees
Mr Heymans also pointed out the importance of employee engagement as a critical driver of business success, saying “our people are the lifeblood of our organisation and we believe in fostering a continuous learning and development culture.”
He said DHL had a global focus strategy pillared on motivated people and staff and therefore availed its staff everywhere to the same professional training to enable it provide quality services and retain customers.
Investments
Besides training its staff, DHL has invested in a gateway facility as well as a large warehouse for their strategic partners in Ghana.
It operates its own fleet of 11 DHL aircraft which hits 20 cities overnight five days a week within West Africa.