Bujumbura - BURUNDI LOGISTICS & SERVICES (Head Office)

Burundi Logistics & Services (BLS) is a Burundi-based freight forwarder founded by a veteran logistics professional who previously served with CEVA Logistics, IMA, and AMI Africa Burundi. Headquartered in Bujumbura, BLS positions itself as a full-spectrum logistics partner, offering ocean, air, and inland freight services, as well as distribution within Burundi and across the East Africa region. The company also provides customs clearance in East Africa and Burundi’s tax exemption formalities, addressing both cross-border trade complexities and local regulatory requirements for its clients. Since its inception in 2021, BLS has demonstrated measurable activity and growth, having handled well over 350 containers and maintaining a steady throughput of approximately 100 containers per year. This track record signals a capacity to manage both steady-state operations and occasional surges, reinforcing its reliability for clients with ongoing supply chains or time-sensitive shipments. Core to BLS’s operating philosophy are the values of innovation, accountability, integrity, and speed, which are embedded in day-to-day operations, client interactions, and performance metrics. The company’s client base illustrates a blend of local and international players, including NGOs and large organizations, reflecting its capability to navigate diverse requirements, from humanitarian logistics to corporate supply chains. Among the notable clients cited include Lifenet International, Fesmed, Tanganyika Business Company (TBC), KBT Ruhuka, Energy Plus, and the Burundi Bible Society, underscoring a reputation for handling sensitive, high-stakes cargo and a breadth of project-driven logistics assignments. While BLS’s physical address is in Bujumbura, its service footprint extends beyond the capital to regional destinations, enabling end-to-end solutions across the country and neighboring markets, with a focus on secure, timely, and compliant delivery of goods.

In the domain of service offerings, BLS emphasizes its capability to coordinate multi-modal freight movements that align with client timelines and budgetary constraints. Ocean freight capabilities include handling containerized cargo, specialized equipment, and hazardous goods, supported by an integrated tracking service designed to keep clients informed through daily email updates, reports, and direct communications. This level of visibility is particularly valuable for shippers seeking proactive management of port and vessel-related dynamics, including documentation accuracy, container siting, and schedule integrity. For time-sensitive consignments, air freight services complement the portfolio, enabling door-to-door delivery arrangements with domestic coverage in Bujumbura and upcountry locations. The inland and road transport components leverage BLS’s own fleet as well as skilled trucking subcontractors, ensuring secure, reliable movement of cargo across land corridors with modern tracking and communications technology.

Beyond core freight movements, BLS provides end-to-end logistics services designed to simplify complex supply chains. The company offers comprehensive distribution capabilities within Burundi and an extended network within East Africa, facilitating last-mile delivery and regional stock management where needed. Its customs clearance expertise spans several East African markets, including Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, and Eastern DRC, with a breadth of clearance services such as temporary imports, exempted cargo, re-exports, and import under bond. This regulatory proficiency positions BLS as a valuable partner for both import-driven operations and projects requiring rapid clearance and reconfiguration of goods at destination. The Burundi tax exemption formalities further differentiate the company, enabling clients to optimize cost structures during import, warehousing, and distribution phases.

The company articulates a clear strategic framework that aligns with modern logistics demand, including a focus on NETWORK, INNOVATION, SERVICE OFFER, and CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. These pillars reflect a holistic approach to growth that emphasizes not only the physical movement of goods but also the creation of value through process improvements, digital tools, and a customer-centric operating model. In practice, this means a robust service menu backed by trained personnel at major entry/exit points, ports, airports, and borders, enabling efficient handling of diverse cargo profiles, from standard commercial goods to specialized equipment and medical supplies. BLS’s service design emphasizes proactive problem-solving, careful documentation management, and risk mitigation across the supply chain, which is particularly important in the East Africa region where regulatory changes, border controls, and logistics infrastructure can pose challenges.

From a platform and marketplace perspective, BLS embodies characteristics that align with FreightCue’s mission to connect shippers, freight forwarders, and carriers on a single, scalable digital platform. The company’s emphasis on end-to-end capability, regional reach, regulatory compliance, and transparent operations makes it a compelling candidate for a directory listing intended to help international buyers, NGOs, manufacturers, and trading houses discover reliable partners for multi-modal logistics. For FreightCue’s audience, BLS offers potential advantages such as:

- A proven track record and container handling experience in a developing market, providing confidence in operational resilience and scalability.

- Regional clearance capabilities across East Africa, enabling faster onboarding for cross-border supply chains and more predictable customs outcomes.

- A holistic service spectrum that covers ocean, air, inland transport, and local distribution, helping customers consolidate vendors and simplify vendor management.

- Value-added services like Burundi tax exemption facilitation, which can translate into cost efficiencies for import-heavy projects.

- A client portfolio that includes NGOs and large regional players, signaling experience with both philanthropic and corporate supply chains, including sensitive or high-value cargo.

For shippers evaluating suppliers on FreightCue, BLS’s combination of local knowledge, regional access, and end-to-end logistics capabilities can translate into meaningful advantages, such as streamlined quote requests, consistent service levels, and the potential for integrated supply chain management. The company’s stated emphasis on speed, accountability, and integrity aligns with the expectations of a professional freight marketplace that prioritizes reliability and transparent pricing. In addition, BLS’s commitment to innovation suggests openness to digital tools, real-time tracking, data-driven performance metrics, and collaborative quoting that can reduce cycle times and improve decision-making for both shippers and forwarders on FreightCue. Overall, Burundi Logistics & Services presents as a capable, adaptable partner for global shippers seeking dependable logistics support in East Africa, with the potential to leverage FreightCue’s platform to exchange competitive rates, manage inquiries, and build long-term, performance-based relationships with multiple buyers and sellers in a centralized digital ecosystem. FreightCue would position BLS as a regional freight forwarder with credible credentials, a broad service mix, and a track record that can be scaled to meet growing demand in Africa’s burgeoning trade corridors.