Collective solutions

The GDC adopts a systems approach, implementing ‘collective’ interventions that support the growth of the sector as a whole. We believe that this will ultimately enable us to support a greater number of members to reach last mile customers in the hardest-to-reach places, as well as to catalyse deeper opportunities for peer learning, support and partnerships between members.

While the GDC is global in scope, in our first phase we have adopted a regional focus on East Africa, and aim to expanding our services to other regions in future.

To find out more about the GDC’s impact in our first 18 months, take a look at our Impact Summary.

The GDC focuses on two key pillars of activity:

  • We help last mile distributors to improve business performance and grow, by providing solutions and services that help save time, reduce costs, build capacity and develop catalytic business partnerships.
  • We build a collective voice for the last mile distribution sector by generating and sharing learning and insights, raising the profile of our members, and helping the broader ecosystem to work effectively with distributors to achieve shared impact goals.

What sort of collective services?

  • We crowdsource innovations through our Innovation Challenge, and help members pilot them with financial and technical assistance, open sourcing all insights so that others can learn from and replicate these ideas.
  • We offer training services and facilitate peer and expert mentoring, to support members to overcome key challenges.
  • We convene members at in-person and virtual events, facilitating match-making, knowledge exchange and learning. Our next GDC member event is in Lusaka, Zambia in April 2023 – see more details here.
  • We help members to access information, including about products, services, and best practices, and connect them to potential partners.
  • We develop and test new business models to bring down costs for distributors, including a procurement platform that enables distributors to procure quality products at more affordable prices.

Some GDC services are open to all members while others are restricted to certain membership segments, to maximise impact.

How do we build a collective voice for the sector?

  • By producing ground-breaking research and data on the last mile distribution sector.
  • By helping funders, manufacturers and service providers to understand the sector and work more effectively to support distributors.
  • By increasing representation of last mile distributors at key forums.
  • By amplifying members’ needs and advocating on their behalf with key decision-makers.

Find out more