Trade enabler DP World has launched DUBUY.com, a global wholesale e-commerce platform. DUBUY.com is available first in Rwanda with plans to expand across Africa and around the world.

DUBUY.com adds digital trading corridors to the physical corridors DP World has built across the African continent with its investment in ports, terminals, and logistics operations. DUBUY.com is partnering with local businesses and the Rwandan Government to help unlock access to global markets for small and medium-sized UAE enterprises, using DP World’s end-to-end integrated supply chain services to fulfil orders for export and to receive goods. The platform also enables global companies to find and serve new trading partners in Africa, opening up access to fast growing markets.

Online marketplaces are a significant opportunity for economic growth in Africa which today accounts for less than 0.5 per cent of global eCommerce according to the United Nations Conference on Development and Trade. In 2018, trade between the UAE and Rwanda reached Dhs1. 6 billion ($434.8 million), with the size of trade growing significantly in the last decade as part of wider bi-lateral and economic ties between the two countries.

The combination of DUBUY.com with DP World’s physical logistics infrastructure and data-driven logistics solutions will solve some of the key challenges to the growth of eCommerce, including reliable fulfilment, secure financial transactions and the movement of goods.

Clare Akamanzi, CEO, Rwanda Development Board said, “DUBUY.com will make the previously impossible, possible, for many Rwandan entrepreneurs to trade with the UAE - and beyond. People and companies everywhere are turning to technology to fuel their post-pandemic recovery and improve access to global trade. World class eCommerce platforms backed by innovative, reliable logistical networks can lead the charge, transforming how business is done across the continent.”

DUBUY.com is the first online store created for all Rwandan licensed exporters, importers, and manufacturers. In Rwanda, DP World has already invested in a logistics hub which offers container handling, cold chain and bonded warehouses.

Mahmood Al Bastaki, Chief Operating Officer of Dubai Trade World, added: “DUBUY.com represents a new model of partnership with the UAE, designed to strengthen the existing potential in Rwanda, opening businesses and markets organically, by enabling trade and supplying innovation. This technology allows home grown businesses to become international manufacturers and exporters - by linking them with new markets in Africa, the Middle East and eventually the rest of the world. In Rwanda, this includes the promotion of valuable exports like tea, coffee, and horticulture, through a network which significantly upgrades the country’s supply chain logistics - both in urban and rural areas. As well as providing access to new digital tools that will help local businesses prosper. We’re not just building in Rwanda; we’re building with Rwanda - for Rwanda.”

Mike Bhaskaran, Chief Operating Officer, Technology and Logistics, DP World said: “DP World is investing to build the future of world trade. Our vision is to create more efficient trading corridors for our customers through our ports and logistics, digital technology to make operations more efficient, and now online platforms for trade. We are proud to play our role supporting economic development and increased prosperity in Africa.” DUBUY.com offers a one-stop-shop, ensuring all transactions on the site are secure, from onboarding only trusted suppliers through to integrating leading payment service providers, like Rosoom. There are pre-negotiated, heavily discounted shipping tariffs in place, with weekly console boxes moving between origin and destination with guaranteed transit times, and incentivized shipping costs. Shipping methods are also customized according to the scale of each transaction, and the urgency of shipments. These benefits culminate to bring a platform which is agile, responsive, and will position the UAE to be centre of Rwandan trade and e-commerce.

DUBUY.com by DP World is the business gateway to Africa. Backed by DP World, a global logistics business with 127 business units in 51 countries, our innovative digital platform provides a B2B e-marketplace with end-to-end supply chain solutions for the continent and beyond. Connecting African businesses to regional and international markets, ensuring goods are delivered safely, reliably and on time. With over 50 nations and a population of 1.3 billion people, Africa provides a unique opportunity for companies large and small.

Separately, DP World Limited handled 18.9 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) across its global portfolio of container terminals in the first quarter of 2021, with gross container volumes increasing by 10.2 per cent year-on-year on a reported basis and up 9.6 per cent on a like-for-like basis.