GIG Logistics, African Tech-powered Logistics Company Opens Office in China
GIG Logistics (GIGL), Africa’s leading tech-driven delivery company, has expanded its services to China.
This brings the total number of countries in which it is currently active to four. GIGL has already established branches in Ghana, the United States, and the United Kingdom, in addition to Nigeria.
GIGL, through this expansion, will help to fix the recurring challenges associated with international purchases as well as increase the opportunities for Africans to buy from merchants in China through the GIGGo app and get superfast hassle-free shipping at affordable rates by leveraging technology and prior experience in the logistics space in four countries.
Dr. Ocholi Etu, MD of GIG Logistics, told Technext that the launch was originally scheduled for last year but was postponed due to payment issues. Transactions, however, will now be carried out locally using a GIGL local bank account and the Nigerian currency, NAIRA.
This is a great idea given the unremitting challenges many Africans face the existing payment options available for carrying out international purchases.
He went on to say that the team is working on more innovative ways to provide customers with better services, such as deploying technology to aid in the purchase of goods and transportation. Kim, an Artificial Intelligence personal shopper, is one of these.
Meet Kim, GIG Logistics’ artificial intelligence personal shopper.
Kim is an AI tool and the new GIG Logistics personal shopper who will act as a go-between for Chinese vendors and Nigerian consumers.
The AI feature was created to translate languages accurately, improve communication with these Chinese businesses, and communicate precise consumer requests.
Conversations with the AI take place via WhatsApp and WeChat, with Dr. Ocholi stating that the WhatsApp communication option was chosen because the goal is to make this opportunity available to everyone.
According to Statista, WhatsApp is the most popular platform in the country, with over 90 million users, so including it is a wise decision.
GIG Logistics services are now available for popular Chinese brands such as Alibaba, as well as other local merchants and sites across the country, thanks to the AI tool, Kim. With this potential comes the risk of a lengthy hiccup in the refund process.
However, Dr. Ocholi stated that, while GIG Logistics is a third party in the game, the customers would be subject to the merchants’ refund policies. The GIG Logistics team in China, on the other hand, will conduct a thorough inspection of the items to ensure quality and match the customer’s description.
Why is China important?
China is one of the world’s most important manufacturing nations, with low-cost goods, and many Nigerians have turned to the country to make these purchases. Some small business owners get almost all of their supplies from here.
According to CEIC Data, Nigeria’s total imports from China increased to 1.278 USD billion in March 2022. Despite the difficulties, this demonstrates the extensive trade that exists between the two countries. GIG Logistics intends to overcome some of these challenges with this expansion.
However, many factors have influenced international goods purchases, one of which is the CBN-regulated restrictions on international payment services, which GIG intends to address as it develops and expands its services.
What Else Is There
When asked about the company’s plans for expansion, the CEO stated:
I can tell you that for GIG whose mission is to become the gateway to Africa and out of Africa, there is a plan to dominate globally but we curate our movements based on where we are seeing heavy demands. We are also thinking of expanding further within Africa.
The CEO elaborated on the policies governing goods transportation as these new services became available. For the time being, the company’s focus is on air cargo importation, which may limit its ability to acquire specific commodities.
However, there are future plans to expand into marine freight services.
Finally, the company intends to maintain its reputation for on-time delivery. However, the transit time may vary slightly, and in dealing with the issues, Dr. Ocholi stated,
After payment has been done, it has to first be shipped to us. In logistics, we call that the first mile. Then, there is the middle mile that brings it to our office in Lagos and the last mile that delivers it to you. The middle and the last mile are 100% within our control and when it gets to us, within 5-7 days, we should be able to get it to Lagos under normal circumstances.
