Russian Post resumes delivery services to 14 African states

In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic led to a halt in parcel shipments

As summer starts, Russian Post will offer customers the ability to send parcels to 14 more African countries, bringing the total to 39, the state-owned company’s press service announced on Monday.

Russians will now be able to ship to Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Gabon, Guinea, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Côte d’Ivoire, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Togo, and Eritrea.

The company’s website reports that parcel shipping to Africa was suspended in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but is now gradually being rolled out again.

People using the company’s services to ship from Russia can already send parcels to: Algeria, Angola, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Cameroon, Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Réunion, Seychelles, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Eswatini, Ethiopia, and South Africa.

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In January through April 2024, the number of shipments from Russia to the African continent increased 4% compared to the same period in 2023. 

The most popular destinations are Egypt (33%), Tunisia (12%) and Morocco (11%). Popular items for delivery include research equipment, seeds, herbal cosmetics, dietary supplements and health food.

“Africa has huge potential for trade relations, and we are glad to provide the convenient delivery of goods to the vast majority of the continent’s countries,” Russian Post CEO Mikhail Volkov said. He believes that trade with the region will experience “even greater growth in the near future,” and that his company will be able to carry out cross-border operations for clients.

The average delivery time it takes a Russian Express Mail Service (EMS) shipment to reach a destination in Africa is 17 calendar days. EMS is a global postal service for documents and merchandise, provided by Russian Post and other postal operators which are part of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).