DP World and ITOCHU boost Africa

The memorandum of understanding was formalised during the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Yokohama.

Under the agreement, the two companies have pledged to collaborate on enhancing market access and connectivity across Africa, with a particular focus on supporting Japanese businesses aiming to enter or grow in African markets.

Initial areas of cooperation include fleet and logistics operations, supply chain optimisation and the distribution of commodities and food products.

“Africa represents one of the most dynamic growth frontiers for global trade,” said Beat Simon, group chief operating officer, Logistics at DP World.

“This collaboration with ITOCHU reflects a shared vision to unlock value by combining our infrastructure and logistics expertise with ITOCHU’s commercial experience to create deeper connections between Africa and Japan.”

DP World, which operates in 48 African countries, has already invested over US$3 billion in infrastructure and plans to invest an additional US$3 billion over the next three to five years to strengthen intra-Africa trade and global connectivity.

ITOCHU, headquartered in Tokyo, brings decades of experience in commodities, wholesale trade and consumer goods across Africa. “We hope that this collaboration will not only lead to further projects between the two parties, but also serve as a bridge between Japanese companies seeking to expand into Africa and the African market,” said Shinya Ishizuka, chief executive of Africa Bloc, ITOCHU Corporation.