By 
Africa’s rapidly growing economies foster the growth of e-commerce projected to reach $46.1 billion by 2025 on the continent. This in turn drives the demand for logistics. Africa’s last-mile delivery market alone set to grow to nearly $3 billion by 2032. But its growth remains hindered by severe challenges including lacking infrastructure.
RELATED: Targeted policies key to realising Africa’s ecommerce potential, GSMA report affirms
Pickspot has announced its integration with peaq, the layer-1 blockchain for DePIN and Machine RWAs. This will decentralize last-mile logistics in Africa. It is building a network of community-owned smart parcel lockers that work as a crucial part of the larger logistical ecosystem and power last-mile delivery wherever the community needs it. Anyone can join the network by setting up a Pickspot smart parcel locker, which earns them 50% of the fees as well as rewards in crypto.
Pickspot integrates peaq as its layer-1 blockchain, using peaq IDs for identity management and later incorporating role-based access controls. The project will test its DePIN on peaq’s test network agung and canary chain krest before launching on peaq mainnet, where it will deploy its rewards mechanism.
By setting up a smart parcel locker and minting it as an NFT in any high-footfall location, from a mall to a residential building, anyone can start earning rewards in crypto. They can also earn 50% of all the fees the machine is collecting. The smart parcel lockers will enable local residents to conveniently receive and send parcels. This will help reduce unsuccessful delivery attempts by couriers. It will also stimulate eCommerce in the area and expand the reach of local businesses. Pickspot also supports P2P parcel exchange functions.
“The DePIN model puts the community at the heart of the logistics industry. It makes sure that the supporting infrastructure comes online wherever it is needed,” says Knaan Warsame, co-founder and CEO of Pickspot.
