Package-forwarding firms bridge gap for African online shoppers

No bank card? No address? No problem. Shoppers in Africa increasingly are buying online from big brands such as Amazon (AMZN.O) or Walmart (WMT.O) even though they have no physical presence on much of the continent.

Among those benefiting ​from the shift are local and foreign package-forwarding companies that use technology and increasing internet penetration in Africa to overcome hurdles, including a lack of formal street addresses and customers with no ‌access to traditional banks....