Category: In Depth

Beyond electric vehicles, what will it take to decarbonize the transport sector in Africa?

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Written by Simon Saddier At COP 27, world leaders recognized transport as one of the key sectors to decarbonize under the Breakthrough Agenda. Accounting for more than 20% of global energy-related direct CO2 emissions, of all sectors, transport has the highest level of reliance on fossil fuels which supply about 95% of its final energy demand. Road transport, in particular, accounts for around 6 GtCO2e, or around 10% of total global emissions. Decarbonizing the sector is therefore critical to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. With recent progress in vehicle and battery development,…

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THE GREAT SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION CONTINUES IN 2023, WARNS PROFESSIONAL BODY FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

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Unprecedented disruptions and volatility in recent years have stretched supply chains to breaking point. In 2023, we can expect the “Great Supply Chain Disruption” to continue to challenge industries around the world, according to SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management in Southern Africa. War, raw materials shortages, rising energy costs and extreme weather conditions are just some of the factors that will disrupt global supply chains in 2023, warns the non-profit organisation that is striving to elevate, educate and empower the community of supply chain professionals across Africa. “In…

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INDABA PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON FRAUD, WHISTLEBLOWERS AND THE POLITICAL PRESSURE ON PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN PRACTIONERS

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Irregular expenditure in national and provincial government departments and State-Owned Enterprises is costing South Africa billions of rands every year. Political interference in public sector procurement was one of the compelling topics on the agenda at the 16th annual Smart Procurement World Indaba. Thandy Pino, who is the founder and CEO of Ntakha Consulting and former Chief Director of Supply Chain and Asset Management at the Gauteng Department of Health, shared her insights and advice on this challenge. She described political interference as an emotional subject for public sector procurement practitioners.…

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SUPPLY CHAIN PROFESSIONALS LOVE THEIR JOBS AND THEIR EARNING POTENTIAL IS ON THE RISE, SURVEY FINDS

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People working in supply chain management love their jobs and their earning potential is up. However, employers are placing more emphasis on professional development in the supply chain profession, which has been in the public eye more than ever since the pandemic and other recent disruptions.  These are some of the findings of the 2022 Supply Chain Salary and Career Survey Report conducted by the US-based Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM), of which SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management in Southern Africa, is a Premier Elite channel partner.…

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The emerging markets e-commerce opportunity

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Author: Mike Bhaskaran, Group COO of Digital Technology at DP World Online retail has boomed in the last two years, triggered by the pandemic which drove consumers to buy their goods on the internet. While this presented a major challenge for bricks-and-mortar retailers, it created a lucrative opportunity for online vendors and e-commerce platforms. Meta most recently jumped on this trend, partnering with JioMart to improve consumer access to food and goods in India – allowing them to make purchases within WhatsApp, a platform used by over 100 million users…

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THINK GLOBAL AND ACT LOCAL TO REMEDY PROCUREMENT MYOPIA AND ENSURE BUSINESS SUCCESS AND RESILIENCE, EXPERTS ADVISE

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Procurement myopia can be a death sentence for an organisation. This has never been more true than in today’s fragile, post-pandemic and disruption fraught business environment, where economies are still reeling, and business resilience and innovation are more important than ever. “Glocalisation” is a remedy for procurement myopia, according to Dr. Jones Mathew, who is a Professor at the Great Lakes Institute of Management in Gurgaon, India. He was one of the 100 renowned African and international experts who shared their experience and insights with the more than 500 delegates…

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MORE SUPPORT AND CAREER PATHING NEEDED FOR WOMEN IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

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A lack of career opportunities is the main reason that women leave the supply chain profession, according to respondents in the recently published seventh annual Gartner / AWESOME Women in Supply Chain research survey. MJ Schoemaker, president of SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management in Southern Africa, notes that while supply chain management has come a long way from the once male dominated field in which women only filled service roles, it still has a long way to go in terms of gender parity. “We have seen an increase in the…

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The role of railways in empowering AfCFTA’s success

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Trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) commenced in January 2021, creating a huge single market of 54 African states – all but Eritrea – of almost 1.4 billion people. It’s a game changer for Africa with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) estimating (1) that AfCFTA has the potential both to boost intra-African trade by 52.3% by eliminating import duties, and to double this trade if non-tariff barriers are also reduced’. Jettisoning the trade barriers Prior to the AfCFTA, cross-border African trade was impeded by average tariffs of…

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