Staying ahead means not only keeping up with current trends but also anticipating the next wave and the wave after that and the wave after that..
That is precisely what the sibling duo of Liji Nowal and Binai Thoppil are doing in the digital documentation and payment space in the shipping and freight industry..
After cementing their position as a leading digital documentation and payment solutions provider across India and the Middle East, the Co-Founders of ODeX Global, true to their name, are on a mission to expand these solutions globally, navigating a bold new course into Africa and Southeast Asia, two of the fastest growing regions in international commerce..
This strategic move is not just about geographical growth, it reflects ODeX’s deep commitment to solving long-term operational inefficiencies in the shipping and freight sector where digital transformation is either nascent or fragmented..
Africa and Southeast Asia expansion
The shipping and logistics landscape is undergoing significant transformation, and both Africa and Southeast Asia are playing increasingly influential roles in this shift..
Yet, in both regions, the trade ecosystem is often hampered by manual processes, delayed documentation, opaque payment systems, and fragmented communication between stakeholders..
This is where ODeX brings its unique value proposition..
As per Liji Nowal – CEO and Co-Founder of ODeX, Africa continues to be a key focus area.. “We’ve been there since 2016, but the growth has happened rapidly only over the last two years. While we’ve been there in the West, in Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal, we are now in the East. We are live in Kenya, and we will very soon be live in Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania with Mozambique in the delivery pipeline for next year” said Nowal..
While acknowledging their presence in South Africa and also the difficulty of the South African market, Nowal was confident and hopeful that further expansion would happen soon..
“In terms of the East we are already in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and also next year Vietnam,” added Nowal..
Speaking about the implementation of the systems, Binai Thoppil, COO and Co-Founder of ODeX highlighted the integration with banks in Africa as one of their pillars of success..
“Any financial institution or a payment gateway can plug into us. For Africa, I think the banks have been one of the biggest supporters. The banks in Africa are super agile. They are very receptive to new ideas. They’re able to tweak their systems faster to be able to cater to all these integrations, and that’s one of our pillars of success in Africa. I would say that the banks have been super supportive,” said Thoppil
Challenges in regional expansion
While expansion into new regions always brings exciting opportunities, ODeX recognizes that it comes with its own challenges.. Many stakeholders in Africa and Southeast Asia are still reliant on legacy systems and their levels of digital readiness varies..
Gaining trust in digital processes, especially for crucial activities like payments takes time and therefore ODeX is focused on building strong local partnerships and customising its offerings to align with local and regional needs, regulatory frameworks, and user behaviour..
By making digital workflows accessible and practical for businesses of all sizes, the company aims to bring greater efficiency and transparency to trade operations, particularly for SMEs, logistics service providers, and government-linked institutions..
For carriers, forwarders, truckers, and SMEs looking to reduce turnaround times or needing reliable documentation in these regions, ODeX is ready and waiting to unlock the future of trade, one digital connection at a time..
