Thelo Group, the African transport and logistics solutions provider for freight owners, has announced the expansion of its offering to deliver integrated (rail, port, and rolling stock), multi-freight, multi-user transport corridors to efficiently move Africa’s valuable resources at economies of scale. These resources are largely mining commodities, agricultural produce, containers, and bulk liquids.
According to Industry sources, Thelo’s offering of interconnected transport corridors is in response to Africa’s transportation challenges and a strategic move to support Africa’s Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)’s single market. As a result of AfCFTA, the transport sector is expected to expand by nearly 50%, significantly boosting intra-African trade. But its success hinges on improving Africa’s road, rail and transport infrastructure; a challenge that Thelo is actively addressing. Currently, transportation costs related to logistics in Africa are up to 75% higher than in other parts of the world.
Ronnie Ntuli, Chairman of Thelo Group, stated: “We are mobilizing capital from investors in Africa and internationally, and leveraging world-class engineering and operational capacity to create large-scale interconnected transport and logistics corridors for Africa. As an independent African company, Thelo is playing an instrumental role in developing, operating, and managing national and regional development corridors. Importantly, Thelo’s multi freight, multi-user approach will deliver more efficient transport solutions to multiple freight owners at economies of scale that will reduce transport and logistic costs.”
Mr Ntuli continued: “Our skills, capacity and years of experience in this sector, together with our deep understanding of Africa’s transport and logistics infrastructure market sets us apart and gives us a leading advantage. By bringing world-class global expertise and capacity to the African railway and ports sector, we are the right strategic partner for investors in Africa’s transport and logistics sector.”
Stefan Geisperger, Managing Director for International Markets at DB Engineering & Consulting, stated: “Our global and long-standing experience and expertise in the railway sector, coupled with our ongoing valued relationship with Thelo, is crucial for delivering on Africa’s critical need for integrated transport infrastructure. Deutsche Bahn remains firmly committed to our partnership with Thelo in Africa under our newly restructured and exclusive partnership.”
Commenting on Thelo’s partnership with Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, Mr Ntuli stated: “Thelo is honored by DB’s continued commitment to our partnership in the sub-Saharan region of Africa and we are thrilled to continue working together on an exclusive basis with arguably the world’s leading fully integrated, global railway conglomerate. With the Group’s depth of global experience and expertise, built over 180 years in the mobility sector, DB is the best partner for Thelo to work with in developing integrated transport and logistics infrastructure on the continent of Africa.”
Industry sources added that the firm’s strategic vision is to spearhead Africa’s transport and logistics, support the continent’s long-term growth and economic development, and drive socio-economic progress by connecting rural communities in agriculture and mining-rich areas.
Thelo Group enjoys partnerships with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which has 10% ownership of Thelo Rolling Stock, and a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which, in alignment with its pillar of financing trade enabling infrastructure, is acting as mandated lead arranger and adviser for Thelo’s rail corridor and infrastructure development projects.
