Packages around the Continent

This week starts with Business and Tech week for AfroBloggers Digital Storytelling Festival. I was wondering what I would write about but what came up is what I am going through right now. It has been 35( thirty five) days, let me repeat that thirty five days and counting since I posted a package to Zimbabwe. You know that posting of where you go to the post office and lick a couple of stamps and put it on an envelope. EEehh…that one.We went old-school!!

You see it started as a question. The African Continental Free Trade Area(AfCFTA) – the world’s largest free-trade area – started trading on 1 January 2021, creating a market of 1.2 billion people and the eighth economic bloc in the world with a $3-trillion combined GDP, that is expected to more than double by 2050.This was a momentous occasion for Africa. It was simply awesome. I mean as a businesswoman, I was thinking of ways on how to get my products and services around the continent. Over a billion people in Africa was the population I was looking at. I was not even being greedy..Just 1% of this population and I would be good. But now the question was how do I get my products around? Like if I wanted to send a product to Nigeria or Egypt or Zimbabwe, how would I go about it and how long would it take? Since I had already planned on sending a package, this would be an experiment as well.

I quickly went to the post office to ask about their services to Zimbabwe. I was going to send a package to a friend and see how it goes. I was promptly informed that Zimbabwe was in Zone 4 and thus paid a hefty price of 4000UGX, about a dollar and a half per 100gms. Ofcourse I asked how much it cost to send to the United Kingdom. United Kingdom is in Zone 1 and costs much much much less. I was in shock. I was like why?

Why does is it cheaper to send a package all the way to another continent and more to African countries? No clear answer was given, apart from something to do with airlines and number of packages. I was later informed that the package to Zimbabwe would take a minimum of three weeks. I asked for a maximum and was told if they do not receive it in two months, I should get back to them. Hahaha!!! Banange Business!! Anyway to the U.K takes a maximum of two weeks. Yes, you read right. It takes a shorter time to go to another continent than within the continent. So it is 35 days and counting. I still have 25 days before I can go and get more information.

I was also asked if I wanted a tracking number. Having worked at FedEx, I was like yes of course, this is fantastic. They told me that would cost $1.50. UUUhhhh?? Yes, you pay for a tracking number. Anyway, I paid because I wanted to know where it was at any given time. I was also promptly informed that there would only be four entries-

1. Entry in system in Uganda
2. Departure from Uganda
3. Entry into Zimbabwe
4. Delivery to Client

Beggars cant be choosers so as of now, I know it has left Uganda. That is that but that is better than nothing, right?Anyway, African Union, I am just wondering how you plan to sort out the delivery systems within the African free trade area. Because if it is like so, I do not know…I really do not know……..