SDC International

What SDC International does

SDC International (legal name: Societe Djiboutienne de Commerce, "S.D.C.") is a privately-held, diversified trading, distribution, and logistics enterprise founded in 1995 and headquartered in Djibouti, with a regional logistics hub in Jebel Ali, Dubai. The group operates through three wholly-owned subsidiaries: SDC Sarl (Djibouti, head office controlling the entire business), SDC Logistics & Shipping LLC (UAE branch), and Gabood Company (distribution in Somalia/Somaliland). SDC targets East African markets — Djibouti, Somalia, Somaliland, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and South Sudan — with an addressable consumer market of roughly 9 million people in Somalia/Somaliland alone.

The company's offering is built around two inter-locking platforms. The first is a vertically integrated FMCG distribution arm, in which SDC acts as the authorized and sole distribution agent for global brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, and Wrigley's across East Africa, complemented by commodity trading in sugar, tea, coffee, rice, and spices sourced from India, Thailand, Vietnam, and tropical origins. The second is a logistics and freight platform anchored by a large warehousing facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone, an in-house customs brokerage with electronic interfaces to customs authorities, a global LCL seafreight network providing access to 1,000+ sailings per week and 1.3M+ cubic meters of annual volume, and a proprietary web-based shipment visibility tool ("SDC Login") that supports ERP integration and 24/7 monitoring. Distribution is executed through a direct regional office network — Djibouti, Hargeisa, Bossaso, Mogadishu, Burao, and Wajaleh — with domestic transport and warehouse facilities at each location.

SDC's revenue is generated through three streams: (1) transaction-fee based FMCG distribution and commodity trading (sugar, tea, coffee, rice, spices, plus premium branded goods), (2) managed-services style logistics, warehousing, sea freight (LCL/FCL), clearing and forwarding, and customs brokerage, and (3) a planned retail outlet in Djibouti targeting end consumers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with customer acquisition driven by website enquiry forms, direct sales through regional offices, and authorized brand partnerships that effectively position SDC as a channel partner for global FMCG manufacturers. The company employs approximately 150+ professionals and reports a 20+ year operating history with claimed "impressive growth," though public digital activity appears to plateau around 2016.

Name

SDC International

Legal name

Societe Djiboutienne de Commerce (S.D.C.)

Website

https://sdcworldwide.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SDC International is a privately-held, Djibouti-headquartered trading and logistics group operating across East Africa, distributing FMCG brands (J&J, Kimberly-Clark, Wrigley's) and commodities, while running Jebel Ali-based warehousing, global LCL seafreight, customs brokerage, and clearing & forwarding services for B2B clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dubai

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. FMCG Distribution & Trading: SDC generates revenue through import, export, off-shore trade, and domestic wholesale of consumer goods including sugar, tea, coffee, rice, and spices, as well as authorized distribution of FMCG brands across East African markets.
2. Logistics & Freight Services: Revenue from logistics, warehousing (shared resources and centralized warehousing), sea freight (LCL and FCL), clearing and forwarding, and customs brokerage services provided to trading clients.
3. Retail Outlet: Planned retail outlet operations in Djibouti to serve end consumers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SDC International is a diversified trading and logistics company that distributes premium FMCG brands (Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Wrigley's) across East African markets as an authorized distributor, while providing integrated logistics services — freight forwarding, sea freight, LCL shipping, customs clearance and brokerage, and warehousing in the Jebel Ali Free Zone — supported by commodity trading operations in sugar, tea, coffee, rice, and spices and a 24/7 web-based shipment visibility tool called SDC Login.

Product overview

SDC International is a diversified trading, logistics, and shipping company offering a portfolio of interconnected services. The core offering consists of FMCG Distribution (authorized distributor for Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark, and Wrigley's in East Africa), comprehensive Logistics and Warehousing in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Clearing and Forwarding, Sea Freight with carrier partnerships, Less-Than-Container Load (LCL) shipping, and Customs Clearance/Brokerage services. Additionally, SDC operates Trading divisions for commodities including Sugar, Tea, Coffee, Rice, and Spices sourced from India, Thailand, Vietnam, and tropical countries. The company also provides a web-based visibility tool called SDC Login for shipment tracking and monitoring. SDC Group, founded in 1995, employs approximately 150+ professionals across offices in Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and the UAE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FMCG Distribution Authorized and exclusive distribution of premium FMCG brands (Johnson & Johnson baby care, adult toiletries, ph5.5, health, hygiene, and feminine hygiene products; Kimberly-Clark hygiene tissues and baby diapers; Wrigley's confectionery) across East African countries, leveraging SDC's owned offices, warehousing, and domestic transport.
• Logistics and Warehousing Shared resources and centralized warehousing located in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, with sophisticated warehousing, web-enabled inventory management systems, high-bay mobile palletized storage, temperature-controlled chambers, and multimodal transportation capabilities supporting e-commerce and EDI applications for clients trading commodities and food stuffs.
• Clearing and Forwarding Freight forwarding services covering air freight, sea freight, and door-to-door delivery with documentation, insurance, and route planning that optimizes cost, transit time, and security for global trade.
• Sea Freight Sea freight solutions through partnerships with leading carriers, providing global visibility, monitoring capabilities via SDC Login, and tailor-made rates with guaranteed sea freight capacities.
• Less-Than-Container Load (LCL) Global less-than-container-load (LCL) seafreight services with departures from major ports worldwide, direct or maximum-one-stop routings, access to more than 1,000 global sailings a week, and 24/7 web-based shipment tracking via SDC Login.
• Customs Clearance / Brokerage Customs brokerage services including automated customs clearance, classification and valuation expertise, customized management reports, and customs bond underwriting, with brokerage interfaces electronically connected to various customs authorities.
• Sugar Trading Export and trading of sugar — brown sugars, refined white sugar, organic sugar, and low-calorie sugar — imported from tropical climate countries and supplied to African and other markets, with UAE-based operations.
• Tea and Botanical Extracts Trading Supply of tea and botanical extracts to markets across the Middle East, Africa, and CIS, with trading operations centered in Dubai.
• Coffee Trading Coffee trading operations centered in Dubai that supply coffee to African and other regional markets.
• Rice Trading Supply of Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese rice varieties sourced directly from millers in India, Thailand, and Vietnam, sold to wholesalers in African markets.
• Spices Trading Trading of spices into African markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• LCL volume of more than 1.3 million cubic meters annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Leading Sea Freight CarrierscoreTechnology or IntegrationSDC maintains partnerships with leading sea freight carriers to guarantee sea freight capacities and adapt to growing trade volumes. This enables the company to offer flexible scheduling, optimal transit times, and tailor-made pricing to customers managing global supply chains.
• Global Shipping AlliancescoreTechnology or IntegrationAs a global leader in sea freight, SDC has guaranteed space with each shipping alliance, offering a mix of slow and fast vessels for maximum scheduling flexibility. The company provides access to more than 1,000 global sailings per week through these partnerships.
• Customs AuthoritiescoreTechnology or IntegrationSDC's brokerage interfaces are electronically connected to various customs authorities where available, enabling automated customs clearance, classification and valuation expertise, and customs bond underwriting for seamless import/export operations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Agility: Kuwait-based global logistics provider offering freight forwarding (ocean and air), customs brokerage, and contract logistics, with an established presence in the Middle East and Africa that overlaps SDC's service portfolio.
• DP World: Global port operator and logistics provider with a flagship presence at Jebel Ali (the same free zone where SDC's logistics facility is located), offering freight forwarding, warehousing, and distribution services across the same UAE-East Africa corridor SDC serves.
• GAC Group: Global shipping, logistics, and marine services group headquartered in the Middle East, providing freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, and distribution across the same East Africa and UAE trade lanes as SDC.
• Aramex: Middle East-headquartered logistics and freight company with comparable services in freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehousing, and last-mile distribution across the MENA and African regions where SDC operates.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Global freight forwarder with active operations in the Middle East and Africa, offering LCL consolidation, customs brokerage, and contract logistics directly comparable to SDC's LCL and clearance services.
• Siginon Logistics: East African freight forwarding, customs clearance, and contract logistics provider headquartered in Kenya, serving a similar East African customer base and competing for FMCG and commodity distribution flows.

Broad incumbents

• DSV Panalpina: Global freight forwarding and logistics giant with air/sea freight, customs, and warehousing capabilities; a broader incumbent that competes with SDC's freight forwarding and contract logistics offerings across the MEA corridor.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with extensive LCL, sea freight, customs, and contract logistics capabilities spanning all major East African and Middle Eastern markets — a broad incumbent against which SDC competes on the regional niche.
• Maersk Logistics & Services: Integrated ocean carrier and logistics provider offering LCL/FCL shipping, customs, and inland services globally; competes with SDC on ocean freight and door-to-door forwarding via East African ports.

Regional players

• Freight In Time (FIT): East African freight forwarder and customs broker serving Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and South Sudan — a regional competitor addressing the same East African distribution and cross-border logistics customer set.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sdcgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SDC International