The International Trade Centre (ITC) and DHL have renewed their partnership to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly women-led businesses, overcome logistics and trade barriers when expanding into international markets.
Source: Supplied | From left to right: Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of ITC, and Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, sign a Memorandum of Understanding renewing the ITC-DHL partnership to empower small businesses and foster inclusive trade
The memorandum of understanding combines ITC's market intelligence and SME development expertise with DHL's logistics network and technical capabilities, with the partners set to support cross-border trade, business support organisations and women entrepreneurs.
Trade support focus
Under the renewed agreement, ITC and DHL will support SMEs with exports, supply chains and logistics, while working with business support organisations and ITC SheTrades Hubs to strengthen services for small and women-led businesses.
The organisations will also advocate for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in global trade discussions and with private-sector and government stakeholders.
The partnership comes as many SMEs continue to face barriers to participating in international trade, despite accounting for around 90% of businesses globally and roughly 70% of employment and global GDP, according to ITC and DHL.
“For small businesses, the main challenge is not in creating quality products for customers, but getting it to them. That’s why we’re deepening our work with DHL to help more small businesses, particularly women-led businesses, to overcome last-mile logistics barriers and reach new markets, and to ensure their perspectives are heard at decision-making tables,” said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of ITC.
Logistics as trade barrier
Hennie Heymans, CEO of DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, said SMEs' participation in international trade remains disproportionately low and that businesses often need access to knowledge, finance, digital capabilities and logistics support.
“SMEs are the backbone of economies worldwide, yet their participation in international trade remains disproportionately low. The challenge is rarely a lack of ambition. More often, businesses need access to knowledge, finance, digital capabilities and logistics support. That is why partnerships like this matter.
"By bringing together the right partners, we can build the ecosystems that help businesses grow with confidence, reach new customers and unlock the opportunities that international trade creates.”
60-country footprint
DHL and ITC have worked together since 2016 through programmes including DHL GoTrade, ITC SheTrades and ITC ecomConnect.
Since 2021, DHL GoTrade projects have been launched in more than 60 countries, reaching more than 26,000 SMEs and 8,000 women-owned businesses through training in logistics, e-commerce and trade.
Through ITC SheTrades, the organisations have reached more than 4,000 women-led businesses across 60 countries with technical assistance, logistics expertise and shipping solutions.
The partnership has also worked through SheTrades Hubs in Kenya, South Africa, Mauritius and Trinidad and Tobago, connecting women-led businesses with DHL country offices and relevant expertise.
Between 2020 and 2024, ITC ecomConnect connected more than 400 SMEs with DHL support, including preferential shipping arrangements that reduced costs by up to 60% in selected markets.
