The inaugural Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards culminated in a gala event on Tuesday night (19 July 2022) at which the outstanding achievements of organisations and individuals working in the supply chain profession in Africa were recognised and celebrated.
The organisers report that the successful competition attracted 67 entries, including 22 from outside South Africa. These were narrowed down to 21 finalists by a panel of judges who commended the high standard of entries.
Judge David Crewe-Brown, who is a director of SAPICS (The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management) said: “These awards have given me hope. The companies and individuals have shown that it is not only possible to survive during difficult times but also to thrive. We as judges have seen some amazing stories of innovation, determination and perseverance. The results have blown me away.”
Dr Juanita Maree, chief executive officer (CEO) of the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), concurred, and said that her experience as a judge had filled her with hope, pride and an unwavering belief that now is our time in South Africa and Africa. “With excellence like what we saw in the final rounds, we can create a different narrative and unlock value where we operate,” she said.
Africa is poised for greatness
Judge Adebayo Adeleke stated that the awards project and outstanding entries had restored his hope that Africa is poised for greatness. “This experience showcases strength, uniqueness and beauty in African supply chains. This is a beginning of greater things within the continent and excellence is just the beginning.”
“Regardless of the multitude of problems facing our industry, we continue to show that our supply chains are innovative and resilient and can create great solutions to better service our communities,” commented judge Martin Bailey of Industrial Logistic Systems and CILTSA.
Gavin Kelly, chief executive officer of The Road Freight Association, who was also one of the judges who evaluated the outstanding entries received, said: “The entries showcased the resilience, innovation and world class ambitions of companies in the African supply chain. Being in the supply chain business has been exceptionally difficult in recent years, but the green shoots and dedicated pursuit of perfection are definitely alive and well in Africa and will deliver the greatest value to all the beneficiaries in supply chains.”.
Judge Clayton Thomas, director of Industrial Logistic Systems, rated the inaugural Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards as “an inspiring and insightful experience”. He asserted that the event highlighted the ingenuity and capability of the African supply chain industry and its people and their commitment to developing and delivering best in class solutions to benefit everyday lives.
World class vision and execution of supply chain professionals
“The inaugural Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards provided objectively verifiable proof not only of the world class vision and execution of supply chain professionals on this continent, but also of the globally comparable skills and knowledge being built in this area,” commented judge Charles Dey.
The leading organisations that joined forces to launch and promote the first ever Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards are the African Centre for Supply Chain (Nigeria), the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM), The Road Freight Association, the South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF), Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering (SAIIE), South African Express Parcel Association (SAEPA) and SAPICS (The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management).
Almost 200 African supply chain professionals attended the awards dinner in Sandton where top honours in the eight categories in the 2022 Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards went to:
EXCELLENCE IN SUPPLY CHAIN EDUCATION & YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Winner: Commercial Transport Academy
Outstanding Performance: UniDrive – Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions
Highly Commended: Kent Outsourcing Services
INNOVATIVE SUPPLY CHAIN PROJECTS AND OPERATIONS
Winners: Parcel Ninja – an Imperial Company and COPIA
Outstanding Performance: Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions and County Fair and Imperial – Diageo Project
Highly Commended: Transnova and Vodacom
SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN AWARD
Winner: Western Cape Hospital, George
Outstanding Performance: Imperial Water Conservation Initiative
RESPONSIBLE SOURCING AND PROCUREMENT AWARD
Winner: Traxtion
Outstanding Performance: Addendum
Highly Commended: Futuretend
SUPPLY CHAIN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Winner: Imperial – Business Performance Insights Platform (BPI-P)
Outstanding Performance: Banqu
Highly Commended: Coronet Blockchain
EXCELLENCE IN TRANSPORT AWARD
Winner: Interwaste
Outstanding Performance: Unitrans Supply Chain Solutions’ Chick Trailer Project
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Winner: DHL Global Forwarding
Outstanding Performance: RTMS and JC Auditors
JUDGES AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Winner: RTT On-Demand
PHOTO CAPTION: Shashika John, Martin Bruning and Benita Pretorius accept the Judges Award of Excellence which was won by RTT
About the Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards: By the Industry, For the Industry
The Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards (ASCEA) celebrate organisations and individuals excelling in Supply Chain Management in Africa.
The organisations and individuals who work throughout the supply chain profession have a unique view on what makes the world go around. Managing a supply chain is so much more than moving goods and is a complex role within any organisation to ensure its success and relevance in this volatile world we live in.
The Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards has been set up as a not-for-profit entity. It is the firm objective that funds be raised by the Awards and associated events will go towards the creation of sustainable bursary opportunities for worthy individuals looking for supply chain education opportunities.
For more information, contact +27 11 678 1906; https://www.ascea.co.za/
