‘Industry must drive change to address bottlenecks'

Communication and information technology development are key for growth in Africa, according to Deon Weelson, managing director Pioneer Cross Border Division which incorporates Pioneer Transport and Pioneer Coaches. “Africa is the next growth area within the developing world. We need to be ready for the growth, take advantage of the opportunities that will present themselves and be geared up to support this growth in our sector,” he told FTW. “And making sure we have the right IT and communications infrastructure in place will go a long way to supporting the growth.” Specialists in the provision of cross-border freight and logistics throughout the SADC region, Weelson and his team are well aware of the many challenges that Africa needs to overcome in the years to come. “Be it the lack of infrastructure or the problems being experienced at border posts,” he said, “it is essential that as the world turns its focus on our continent, we make sure we are ready and are addressing those very challenges. It’s up to us to raise productivity and efficiency levels and encourage regional authorities to drive positive changes in order to free up bottlenecks.” Africa will continue to grow, he said. “But, we need a balance between supply and demand where the value of our service offering to customers should be more important than mere cost considerations.” CAPTION Deon Weelson … ‘The right IT and communications infrastructure.’