Concern over global supply chain disruption remains close to record levels despite easing slightly from earlier this year, with geopolitical instability, cyber threats and rising logistics costs continuing to shape business decisions, according to the latest Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Pulse Survey.
The second-quarter 2026 survey found that conflict in the Middle East remained the biggest source of concern for procurement and supply chain professionals worldwide, cited by 75% of respondents, followed by broader geopolitical uncertainty (67%) and the war in Ukraine (33%).
For southern African businesses reliant on international shipping networks and imported industrial inputs, these risks continue to have implications for freight costs, supply reliability and sourcing strategies.
The survey also found that cybersecurity had overtaken logistics disruption as one of the three biggest risks expected to face supply chains over the next 12 months, reflecting growing concern that attacks on suppliers, logistics providers or critical infrastructure could disrupt operations and delay deliveries.
Procurement professionals identified shipping and logistics among the sectors most likely to experience input cost increases of more than 10%, alongside petroleum and mining, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, food and beverages and fabricated metal products.
In response, organisations are placing greater emphasis on supply chain resilience, with supplier diversification, extending supplier contracts and holding additional inventory ranking as the leading strategies to improve continuity of supply, the survey shows.
Businesses could no longer assume global supply chains would return to pre-crisis operating conditions, CIPS Southern Africa regional managing director Paul Vos said. "While inflationary pressures have eased in some areas, the operating environment remains highly unpredictable," he said.
"For South African organisations, resilience is increasingly becoming a competitive advantage. That means developing broader supplier networks, strengthening regional sourcing where appropriate, improving visibility across the supply chain and ensuring procurement is represented as a strategic function within the business rather than simply a cost-control exercise."
The survey also found that one-third of organisations were already experiencing the effects of evolving US tariff policy, while a further 37% were actively monitoring developments as trade policy uncertainty continued to influence procurement decisions.
Global trade patterns were undergoing a structural shift, CIPS global chief executive Ben Farrell said. "The tectonic plates of global trade are shifting. The world we knew has gone. Regionalisation is rising, globalisation is being reshaped, and those organisations that build resilient regional partnerships will be best placed to thrive."
