Since its launch, the programme has been rolled out in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Nigeria. The first official session in South Africa will be held in Johannesburg this week. Several other markets in SSA will be launching the programme before the end of March, including Uganda, Mauritius, Kenya and Ghana.
John Lucas, managing director for DHL Express South Africa, says SMEs are considered the engines of growth in the country, and the SSA region. “If we can empower SMEs to seize international opportunities, this will further stimulate much-needed economic growth. SMEs can have an advantage over larger, more established companies, as they are more agile and flexible to adapt to changing circumstances. Sustainable SME growth and performance also aid job creation, which is critical for the country.”
Usually, SMEs start developing their businesses with the domestic market in mind, and often, they miss the opportunities that international trade represents. It’s actually easier than one thinks to trade internationally and our ‘Growing Beyond Borders' programme is aimed at dispelling the myths about international trade. Ultimately, we want to enable, encourage and empower SMEs to grow.”
The free-of-charge workshop explores areas around importing and exporting in new markets, provides guidance on how to find key geographical opportunities for specific products and services, as well as how to identify different marketing avenues and ways to build successful long-term relationships with their target customers.
Lucas explains that the programme is unique in that it was borne out of the same vein as the DHL Express Certified International Specialist (CIS) program – an internal cultural change programme which has seen nearly 4,000 DHL employees in 51 countries in SSA and 90,000 employees globally, receive comprehensive training on the fundamentals of international shipping.
