E-commerce platform Jumia and logistics firm UPS Tuesday announced a partnership that will give UPS access to Jumia’s last-mile logistics network to enhance its delivery business in Africa.

The deal will see UPS offer its customers an extended range of delivery solutions, including door-to-door package delivery and collection, with a variety of payment options available.

Jumia says partnership will also allow UPS to leverage the extensive network of Jumia drop-off and pick-up stations to expand its reach and coverage in more towns and cities in Africa.

The collaboration will initially cover Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria before expanding to Ghana and Ivory Coast, and later to the remaining African countries where Jumia operates.

“At the beginning of our journey, 10 years ago, logistics infrastructure was one of the most challenging aspects of our operating environment. This challenge was a catalyst for us to build an unparalleled logistics platform in Africa offering our sellers and consumers reliable, convenient and cost-effective delivery services,” said Apoorva Kumar, Senior Vice President of Logistics, Jumia.

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Kumar added, “Today, we are helping other businesses overcome these infrastructure challenges by giving them access to our logistics platform. We are delighted and humbled by the opportunity to partner up with UPS, a global logistics leader, to offer the last mile solutions in Africa. We view this as a validation of the strength of our logistics platform as well as an incentive to double down on our efforts to further enhance our services and build a world-class logistics business in Africa”.

 “This partnership will help small and medium-sized businesses in Africa that make up 90 percent of all businesses on the continent and are the backbone of the economy,” said Gregory Goba Ble, Vice President of Engineering and Operations for the Indian subcontinent, Middle East and Africa, UPS.

Ble added, “UPS’s asset-light approach, like the Jumia partnership, offers a pathway for businesses to quickly and reliably connect to new customers around the world through our global network, potentially accelerating their revenue growth”.