Skills shortage a big challenge in Botswana

Technology is only as good as
the people who use it. And in
Botswana, where industry training
is often not up to scratch, finding
and retaining staff proficient
in logistics and IT can be
problematic.
This is one of the very real
challenges of working in the
country, says Gareth Lendrum,
general manager of SDV in
Botswana. “Training in our
industry is definitely lacking in
the country and along with that
IT knowledge. Even something
as simple as drawing up a spread
sheet is sometimes a challenge.”
For that reason manual systems
are often still used. “They do
work as long as they are managed
well,” says Lendrum. “Most of
our global service providers carry
internal tracking systems to which
we as freight forwarders are given
access. Therefore the tracking
of shipments has become the
responsibility of the carrier and
not the facilitator. We are however
huge carriers in many parts of the
world with most equipment owned
in Africa.”
Lendrum says overcoming
challenges is part and parcel
of working in a country like
Botswana. “One learns to deal with
the challenges and to build up your
own support network.”