French freight forwarder Heppner has opened a branch in Dakar, Senegal – its first on the African continent. The company said it would also serve a wide swathe of the region, including Mali, Gambia and Guinea-Bissau.
Heppner said that business prospects had been boosted by natural resources projects and by a rising middle class, which had increased demand for Western consumer goods and retail concepts, adding: “Shippers are in need of an integrated supply chain offering, including air and ocean freight, but also custom clearance, warehousing and distribution.”
Overseas director Valentin Jung said Heppner would offer an alternative “to the current oligopoly in place, at human scale yet complying with the highest European standards”.
Fully operational since June 2019, the Dakar branch is already active in the retail, fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceutical sectors.
Senegal country director Pascal Bonnet added that the company’s aim was to double its workforce by the end of 2020.
