Enhancing Global Trade Connectivity through Residential Addressing Systems: Evidence from Urban Delivery Operations in Singida, Tanzania
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Global trade Connectivity; residential address; parcel delivery, traceability; last-mile logistics.##article.abstract##
The efficiency of last-mile delivery is a critical bottleneck for global trade connectivity, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas of developing countries, where fragmented address systems persist. This study assessed the impact of residential address characteristics on parcel delivery efficiency in Singida, Tanzania, a secondary city emblematic of this challenge. Employing a descriptive-correlational case study design, data was collected via a structured questionnaire from 399 randomly sampled urban households. The findings, analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression, revealed that while respondents perceive address clarity and digital tools as important, infrastructure accessibility was the only statistically significant predictor of delivery efficiency (β = 0.377, p = 0.012). The study concludes that in contexts like Singida, investments in physical infrastructure, roads and street signs, are a prerequisite for harnessing the potential of formalized and digital address systems. The study recommends a prioritized policy approach that first tackles foundational infrastructural constraints to effectively integrate secondary African cities into global trade networks.
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