‘A few clicks and I’m done’: How a Kenyan wholesale exporter saves time with Maersk Go

Talking with Sajaad Alibhai, managing director at Kikoy Mall EPZ

Kikoy Mall Export Processing Zone (EPZ) is a wholesaler of the Kenyan sarong — called a kikoy. To export these unique garments from Nairobi to Europe in the right season, they need a reliable logistics provider with a simple booking process. Read how they found the solution with Maersk Go.

Kikoy: a versatile product

A kikoy, or kikoi, is a traditional garment originating from East Africa. As part of Swahili culture, the kikoy is mostly worn by the Maasai people of Kenya, as well as men from Zanzibar and Tanzania. Kikoys were also traditionally worn by Swahili sailors on the East African coast.

Made of 100% cotton, the colourful rectangular cloth is also widely used as a beach sarong, shawl, wrap, or even a scarf.

Kikoy Mall EPZ currently exports kikoys from Nairobi, Kenya to Europe — mainly France.

Searching for seasonal reliability

Kikoy products are seasonal, and supply chain reliability is key to Kikoy Mall EPZ’s business. This means they need to have shipments delivered within a specific season, otherwise they will experience losses and order cancellations from their buyers, ultimately affecting their business.

Kikoy Mall EPZ previously employed third-party intermediaries for its exporting needs. As multiple parties and providers were involved, the entire process was challenging to control.

Their major concern was unreliable shipping schedules, which led to possible order cancellations. That’s where Maersk Go came in as their digital logistics solution provider.

‘A few clicks and I’m done!’

With a quick, simple, and easy-to-understand booking process, Maersk Go provided an intuitive platform with ease of shipment. Kikoy Mall EPZ enjoyed the flexibility of being able to ship from Container Yard (CY) or Store Door (SD).

With end-to-end logistics solutions, Maersk Go provided much-needed control and stability over their shipping processes. Kikoy Mall EPZ’s favourite features are the booking process and the ease with which they can rebook a shipment, which saves time as they do not need to input more details again.

Transparency for all parties

Utilising Maersk Go’s transparent pricing and reliable loading guarantee means Kikoy Mall EPZ is better placed to schedule production and make bookings within their budget.

And having alerts go out to their buyers after a booking is placed is also of particular importance, so that everyone can get an estimated time of arrival and plan accordingly.

Continuing global growth with Maersk Go

Kikoy Mall EPZ has a new opportunity for exports into the US (Savannah Port), thereby opening more business. They are also now doing end-to-end business from Nairobi to Le-Havre in France, whereas previously they were handling only port-to-port business.