Few understand the profound impact containerisation has had on changing the world. Before containerisation a 10 000t general cargo ship would have a crew of about 50. From a productivity point of view that meant each crew member was needed for the equivalent cargo that could fit into ten containers. Today the 25 crew on a modern containership carrying over 16 000 containers are over 60 times more productive! The effect of containerisation on stevedoring productivity was even more profound. The bottom line is that the cost of moving products globally is a fraction of what it was. Globalisation would not have been possible without the advent of the container. FTW was started 40 years ago when it became clear that South Africa would follow the world trend towards intermodalism. Three years later on July 1, 1977, SA officially entered the container era when, in series of ceremonies across the country, the three largest ports and Johannesburg simultaneously opened their container terminals for business. C-Day was a triumph of central planning that no other country was ever able to emulate. Over the past four decades we’ve seen a major shift in the balance of power as emerging markets have taken the baton from more traditional trade giants, with a new world focus on the African continent. But the postapartheid euphoria has dimmed and South Africa’s reputation as the gateway to the continent is now under threat as economic and political disarray open the door for our innovative neighbours. Another big game-changer over the past decades has been the advent of electronic communication – particularly as commoditisation has forced a new focus on value-add. For FTW, the internet has provided rich new opportunities. Our sister electronic publication FTW Online is seeing huge escalation in readership and there are big plans to extend our valueadded content. However, while innovation will continue to map our future, we will always remain true to the values of our visionary founder John H Marsh who used his publications to stimulate new ideas and rattle cages. This anniversary issue explores future trends in every industry sector. But it also provides a platform for our readers, who offer their perspectives on the most significant developments of the past 40 years and their logistics dreams for the future. To all our loyal readers and advertisers, stay on board and brace yourselves for the next leg of our exciting and eventful journey. We hope you enjoy the ride! – Dave Marsh, Joy Orlek. INSERT Today the 25 crew on a modern containership carrying over 16 000 containers are over 60 times more productive!
