For thousands of African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), importing goods from overseas remains an expensive and frustrating process marked by complex documentation, unreliable intermediaries, hidden charges, and fragmented logistics services.
Ghanaian logistics technology startup Swiftway is changing that narrative with a digital freight forwarding platform designed specifically for African businesses.
Founded in June 2025 by Abubakar Sadick Fuseini and Suleiman Abubakar Sadique, the startup is building a technology-driven solution that manages the entire shipping journey, from international freight booking and customs clearance to final delivery.
Having already attracted hundreds of active business customers and thousands of prospective users, the company is now preparing for regional expansion while seeking fresh investment to accelerate its growth across West Africa.
What is Swiftway?
Swiftway is a Ghana-based digital freight forwarding startup focused on making international trade more accessible for African businesses, particularly SMEs that regularly import goods from major global manufacturing and trading hubs.
Rather than requiring merchants to coordinate multiple service providers, the platform brings the different stages of cross-border logistics together in one streamlined process.
The company facilitates shipments between African markets and key international trade corridors, including China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Turkey, and Dubai.
Its founders say the goal is to remove the operational burden that often discourages smaller businesses from engaging confidently in global commerce.
Explaining the company’s value proposition, co-founder Abubakar Sadick Fuseini said the platform assumes responsibility for the entire logistics process on behalf of customers.
“We do that for them, end-to-end,” he said, underscoring Swiftway’s commitment to providing a seamless shipping experience from origin to destination.
By leveraging technology to coordinate logistics operations, Swiftway aims to improve transparency, reduce uncertainty, and simplify cross-border trade for businesses that have traditionally struggled with fragmented freight services.
The pain point in focus
Cross-border shipping has long presented significant challenges for African entrepreneurs. Many business owners depend on informal freight brokers whose pricing structures, timelines, and service quality are often inconsistent.
Others turn to multinational logistics providers that offer reliable services but remain financially out of reach for many SMEs.
Swiftway believes this gap has created an underserved market where businesses require dependable logistics services without excessive costs or operational complexity.
According to Fuseini, existing market offerings fail to adequately address the specific realities faced by African importers.
“Nobody was building a transparent, tech-enabled solution specifically for the African SME importer. That is the gap we are filling,” he explained.
The founders argue that improving transparency is just as important as lowering costs. Businesses need predictable pricing, clear communication, and simplified documentation to make informed commercial decisions.
By addressing these long-standing challenges, Swiftway hopes to enable more African enterprises to participate confidently in international trade while reducing the uncertainty that often accompanies import and export transactions.
What services does Swiftway offer?
Swiftway delivers a comprehensive suite of logistics services designed to manage every stage of international shipping under one platform.
These services include air freight, sea freight, customs clearance, and haulage coordination, allowing customers to avoid dealing with multiple independent service providers.
The platform supports businesses importing goods from some of the world’s busiest trading destinations, including China, the UK, the US, Turkey, and Dubai.
Once shipments arrive in the destination country, Swiftway also coordinates customs processing and inland transportation, ensuring goods reach customers efficiently.
Its integrated approach is particularly beneficial for SMEs that may lack dedicated logistics teams or extensive experience in international trade.
Instead of navigating complicated paperwork, customs regulations, and transport arrangements independently, customers can rely on a single provider to oversee the entire supply chain.
This end-to-end model not only saves time but also seeks to reduce administrative burdens while improving visibility throughout the shipping process.
How is Swiftway different from others?
Swiftway differentiates itself by combining digital technology with a business model tailored specifically for African SMEs.
While global logistics technology companies have demonstrated the effectiveness of digitally managed freight forwarding, the startup believes the African market requires solutions built around its unique commercial realities.
Fuseini pointed to international logistics technology company Flexport as an example of a similar model operating globally but noted that Africa has remained relatively underserved.
“Globally, Flexport is doing something similar, but they have no meaningful focus on the African market. We are building for this market from the inside,” he said.
The company also distinguishes itself through its pricing philosophy and operational transparency.
By replacing opaque brokerage processes with technology-enabled coordination, Swiftway aims to provide customers with clearer pricing, better shipment visibility, and more predictable service delivery.
This localised approach reflects a broader trend among African startups developing technology solutions specifically designed to solve regional business challenges rather than adapting products originally created for other markets.
Swiftway’s market footprint and expansion plans
Although still in its early stages, Swiftway has recorded encouraging commercial traction since its launch in June 2025.
According to the company, more than 540 businesses are actively using the platform, while over 19,000 prospective users have joined its waitlist, an indication of growing demand for simplified freight forwarding services.
Fuseini attributed much of this momentum to digital customer acquisition strategies and referrals.
“That kind of organic demand tells us the problem is real and the appetite is there,” he said, adding that Meta advertising, WhatsApp marketing, and strong word-of-mouth recommendations have driven customer growth.
Financially, the startup says it has generated approximately US$71,000 in revenue while remaining entirely bootstrapped and is currently closing a US$100,000 pre-seed funding round to accelerate expansion.
Looking ahead, Swiftway has begun expanding into Nigeria through local logistics partnerships and has already secured enterprise agreements with clients operating across West Africa.
“The vision is to become the leading digital freight forwarder across the West African corridor over the next three years,” Fuseini said.
This signifies the company’s ambition to become a major player in Africa’s evolving logistics technology ecosystem.
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