Challenge
A shortage of reliable ground transportation in much of Africa often makes cargo shipping slow, unreliable, and costly.
Solution and impact
Financing is helping Alistair Group, a small business based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, introduce a more efficient system for moving cargo. Alistair operates a fleet of hundreds of trucks that serve mining, oil and gas companies, as well as global relief organizations throughout Tanzania, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique and South Africa. Alistair equips its trucks with GPS tracking, trains drivers extensively on safety and accident prevention, and maintains a zero-tolerance policy to bribery and corruption that often poses a hurdle to moving goods across borders. In addition to improving the quality and reliability of ground transportation across the region, the project has created hundreds of local jobs, while helping local businesses and relief organizations transport cargo.