To increase and retain its global competitiveness and cut down on risks and logistics costs South Africa needs increased visibility across the supply chain, driven by strong collaboration and business intelligence. “A South African Shippers’ Council (SASC) survey, in conjunction with the Transport Special Interest Group (SIG), found that infrastructure quality, increasing logistical costs, a lack of regional integration and local and crossborder operational inefficiencies were among the top concerns across the supply chain,” said Dr Beverly Waugh, executive director of the SASC. “There are increased risks related to the supply chain challenges faced by South African logistics providers and we as an industry have no choice but to identify and collectively address these challenges – which include crime, corruption, bottlenecks and delays at border posts – or the country will be left lagging behind its neighbours in terms of growth and global competitiveness,” said Waugh. She noted that the keys to unlocking global competitiveness were improved information f low, a sharing of information between industry stakeholders, as well as learning to trust each other within the industry to collectively share in the resulting benefits. “This can be achieved through the use of information technology and a communications system that shares data and business intelligence with all industry stakeholders, including cargo owners, service providers, regulators and educators,” said Waugh. Connectivity, integration and collaboration would help identify supply chain risk, cut down on logistics costs and improve operational efficiency, she added. INSERT & CAPTION We have no choice but to identify and address challenges in the logistics chain or South Africa will run the risk of being left behind by its neighbours. – Beverly Waugh
