Finding a supply chain niche in the Africa market

KEVIN MAYHEW CLIENTS ARE demanding that logistics providers into Africa not only move products from source to destination but also include the interim services such as warehousing, according to the MD of Kyalami-based Sherwood International, Jeremy Hayward. This dovetails with the international trend towards outsourcing more and more functions traditionally undertaken by clients as they free themselves up to concentrate on what they do best – produce a product. “We are finding that there are not many companies that can offer the expertise to undertake a full supply chain function into Africa, particularly considering the difficulty involved in transporting into many parts of the continent,” he said. Sherwood International’s reach includes 19 countries across Africa, including amongst others Angola, Ghana, Mali, Tanzania and Malawi. Opportunities are also being investigated in Madagascar and Uganda. Cargo moves mainly by road and sea and Sherwood International uses its sister companies to provide cross border services, where infrastructure allows. In terms of the in-country logistics, Sherwood partners with African companies that already have the expertise to provide the requisite service levels. Backed by parent company SuperGroup, Sherwood has access to technology and resources covering the entire end-to-end supply chain. This combines with intellectual capital and a specific knowledge of the African environment and expertise in African trading conditions, he said. The company covers the supply chain from source to destination and offers this through flexible business models, he added. These include an outsource supply chain agreement and a management charter model. A global sourcing network supports this service from offices in Mauritius, the United Kingdom and Australia.