Conference paves the way for women in logistics

There are still major barriers to female entrepreneurs who want to enter the logistics and transport sector - and the first annual Women in Logistics and Transport South Africa (WilatSA) conference, to be held in Johannesburg this month,  will aim to break down those barriers.

Chairperson of WilatSA, Margaret Bango, told FTW Online that one of the biggest obstacles to entrepreneurship for women in the industry was the large amount of capital required to start a business in this industry. “Running a transport business for example requires a minimum capital expenditure of R2 million – a high risk expense if you are applying for a straightforward loan. And it is even more complicated if you are married in community of property,” said Bonga.

She said that government had created a more enabling environment for women to set up and run businesses in the transport and logistics industries, but that the challenge was in informing and advising women about the opportunities at a grass-roots level – hence the launch of the annual conference.
A lack of skills is another obstacle and Bonga noted that a lot more needed to be done to ensure that women received training and were exposed to skills development opportunities.

WilatSA is a women’s global forum within the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport International whose main objective is to revolutionise the logistics and transport sector. The conference will be held at Turffontein Race Course from 23 to 25 October. About 100 delegates are expected to attend. Speakers will focus on the theme of developing female entrepreneurs within the logistics and transport industry, including training and current business opportunities offered.