CLIVE EMDON SOUTH AFRICA’S infrastructure and high harbour costs are a constraining factor in the automotive supply chain and are hampering its competitiveness in the global market. This emerged in presentations at the recent automotive supply chain conference at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University‘s conference centre, reported by The Herald Online. Executive vice-president: automotive at UTi Worldwide, Jochen Freese, said there were many success stories in the South African supply chain, among them the building of the Hummer H3 by GMSA in Nelson Mandela Bay. He said however the supply chain was only as strong as its weakest link and in the South African context this referred to poor infrastructure and high port costs. In comparison with the Chinese and Brazilian markets, the costs at Cape Town harbour, for example, were much higher, he said. This meant that South Africa was not as competitive in this area as it could be. The key area of infrastructure also demanded attention, Freese said. South Africa‘s recent inability to supply energy and the country‘s ICT infrastructure and software were also affecting its status as a global player. “The inefficiencies within South African infrastructure and the associated costs of transport demands innovation,” Freese said
