Home
FacebookTwitterSearchMenu
  • Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • News
  • Features
  • Knowledge Library
  • Columns
  • Customs
  • Jobs
  • Directory
  • FX Rates
  • Categories
    • Categories
    • Africa
    • Air Freight
    • BEE
    • Border Beat
    • COVID-19
    • Crime
    • Customs
    • Domestic
    • Duty Calls
    • Economy
    • Employment
    • Energy/Fuel
    • Events
    • Freight & Trading Weekly
    • Imports and Exports
    • Infrastructure
    • International
    • Logistics
    • Other
    • People
    • Road/Rail Freight
    • Sea Freight
    • Skills & Training
    • Social Development
    • Sustainability
    • Technology
    • Trade/Investment
    • Webinars
  • Contact us
    • Contact us
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Send us news
    • Editorial Guidelines

Growth outpaces infrastructure development

04 Jul 2024 - by Liesl Venter and Ed Richardson
0 Comments

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • E-mail
  • Print

Lack of investment in infrastructure and resources continues to impact the cold chain across Africa, posing a challenge to the perishable and pharmaceutical industries on the continent. According to Vijan Chetty, treasurer of the Cold Chain Association (CCA), South Africa is a notable exception, with strategically positioned airports and seaports. However, the growth in imports and exports is rapidly outpacing infrastructure development within South Africa.“There are 33 countries in Africa classified as least developed countries. Many of these nations have limited sea, road, rail, and air infrastructure, hindering the efficient and effective transport of perishable and pharmaceutical products both within the country and to international markets,” he said. “Some of these countries have pockets of excellence and success stories. The biggest challenge across Africa, however, is the investment in infrastructure and resources. A lack of reliable electricity supply further disrupts the cold chain. This shortage has forced many cold storage facilities to install diesel generators, which are costly and not environmentally f r iend ly.”According to Chetty, demand is increasing and delivering capacity is critical. “There is a distinct growth in Africa, especially South Africa, in perishable agricultural produce. South Africa is the second-largest exporter of citrus fruit in the world,” he told Freight News.At present, only Spain exports more citrus than South Africa. The country is also a leading exporter of apples, while Kenya is in the top five f lower-producing countries in the world. “Agricultural growth in Africa is increasing year-on-year,” said Stavros Evangelakakis, CCA chairman of the board. “Maintaining capacity for sea freight and airfreight is crucial. Any reduction in capacity negatively impacts the growth of commodities.”Chetty emphasised the rising importance of the cold chain alongside quality and phytosanitary compliance for agricultural produce. “Greater focus is being placed on cold chain management, including cold storage, packaging, transportation, and infrastructure,” he said.Addressing electricity challenges remains critical for the cold chain in Africa. “Africa relies heavily on electricity and gases for refrigeration. Local legislation compliance is the minimum requirement and does not always ensure sustainability. More investment is needed in basic resources, such as electricity, to reduce reliance on diesel generators.”He added that cold storage facilities must explore more environmentally friendly methods, particularly those that do not always require significant investments.Evangelakakis said it was not possible to isolate one element of the cold chain; instead, the entire supply chain must be considered. "The journey starts from the shipper and ends at the supermarket. This is where the industry needs to work together, collaborate, and develop solutions.”

Sign up to our mailing list and get daily news headlines and weekly features directly to your inbox free.
Subscribe to receive print copies of Freight News Features to your door.

Cold Chain Logistics 5 July 2024

View PDF
PPECB is SA’s competitive advantage
04 Jul 2024
Breeding cattle beefing up Botswana’s exports
04 Jul 2024
Volumes at Beira trending upwards
04 Jul 2024
Cold chain logistics still too complicated for AI
04 Jul 2024
Shipping lines want to control full logistics chain
04 Jul 2024
Climate change impacting quality and volumes
04 Jul 2024
Farm-to-table trials identify challenges
04 Jul 2024
Reefers open for non-reefer cargo
04 Jul 2024
Greening the cold chain
04 Jul 2024
Growth outpaces infrastructure development
04 Jul 2024

FeatureClick to view

Road & Rail 27 June 2025

Border Beat

Forum tightens net against border corruption
25 Jun 2025
Police clamp down on cross-border crime
17 Jun 2025
Zim's anti-smuggling measures delay legitimate freight operations
06 Jun 2025
More

Poll

Has South Africa's ports turned the corner?

Featured Jobs

New

Sea Export Controller (In-house)

Tiger Recruitment
East Rand
30 Jun
New

Export Controller

Lee Botti & Associates
Durban
30 Jun
More Jobs
  • © Now Media
  • Privacy Policy
  • Freight News RSS
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Send us news
  • Contact us